10 words
by charliepotter13
Summary: Nick Fury is sent an addition to the Avengers, none other than Harriet Potter, witch extraordinaire. However she is sworn to secrecy and has to get to know her teammates through carefully placed suggestions.
1. Chapter 1

10 Words

Nick Fury prided himself on knowing just about everything that was worthwhile knowing in the world- and if he didn't know it, he knew the people who did.

It was with great displeasure then, that Fury was informed by the council that another person had been sourced for the Avengers- but that he did not have clearance to know their history or abilities. He was told that the 'addition' was part of a secret society and had skills enough to be a team member of his Avengers.

Fury's one good eye twitched in irritation and he called the team in with a barked command.

"Avengers' report to the Helicarrier ASAP." His temper was very clear in his message and within two hours all Avengers were assembles in battle armour, clearly expecting a serious reason behind their calling.

Nick strode into the briefing room, coat billowing behind him. The group quieted expectantly and Fury crossed his arms before speaking.

"The esteemed council," Tony coughed,

"Nuclear bomb, cough, Manhattan" and Fury glared but continued.

"The esteemed council has seen fit to give us an addition to the Avenger's initiative." Murmurs of surprise broke out and Fury continued once more, "Unfortunately all I can tell you is this person, male or female will be arriving at Stark tower tomorrow at 9:00 am."

"What?" exclaimed Tony; "you want me to just let some random that the 'council' chose into my tower? Just like that?"

"Yes Stark. Even I don't have high enough clearance to know the details about this person."

"How do we know they will fit in?" Natasha asked,

"The council told me this 'person' is British, part of some secret-society and that they are well equipped to be an Avenger. We. Do. Not. Have. A. Choice." Fury bit out when Tony kept grumbling.

"You will all be at Stark tower to greet this person tomorrow and you do not have clearance to know anything. If you they answer your questions- fine but that is all we have to go on."

The Avengers looked at each other, clearly all surprised. Bruce was the most accepting, knowing all about having to hide details about who you were and your background from the people you worked with.

That evening the team gathered at the tower and discussed their ideas- or in Tony's case outlandish ideas. At any rate, no one had any idea what to expect until the next morning.

Uncharacteristically the whole team was up and dressed by 8:30. They gathered in the main room- at the top of the tower and put the video feed of the front doors on display. They sat around with various hot beverages, watching each person walk past trying to guess whom it would be.

At 8:55 a very beautiful black haired female that none of them recognized approached the doors. She was talking animatedly on the phone and the whole team was surprised by her appearance.

Tony got JARVIS to give them sound as well as video as she waited for the lift. The woman, their new teammate, had long cascading curls, full of volume, which tumbled freely to her lower back. Her eyes, even on camera were revealed to be like shining gems, a gorgeous green that sparkled with happiness. Her skin was perfectly clear, pale and unblemished. She wore a form-fitting emerald dress, accentuating her lithe figure and full breasts. There was no other way to describe her than utterly gorgeous.

"Wow, just wow. And I get to work with her." Tony said.

"Hey you have Pepper." Steve said affronted.

"Yeah but there's no harm in appreciating good looks is there?"

And she was on the phone. Being the shameless spies they were- they all listened. Bruce admittedly feeling a bit guilty.

"I know right? I told Ron that having 3 kids was a bad idea. Even numbers or 7 is the only way to go. But did he listen? No! And now he's stuck with those horrors who always compete." She was silent for a short time,

"mmmm… yep.. yep…Oh look.. oh yer.. duh you can't see it. Oops. Well I'm in this lift in some town going to like level 80. The view is AHMAZING! I can see all of New York… yep I can see some great shops…. Mmm.. New York? oh didn't I tell you? Sorry. You know how it is- too many phone calls, not enough time. Yer, well, get this, I've been recruited into some super-secret alien fighting taskforce. Apparently this tall tower is where they live…. Of course it doesn't matter if I tell you… goodness! You're family George, what good is having family is you can't break the rules!... mmm.. yep… yep… mmm. Merlin shut up already! I'm nearly there, havta make a good first impression. Righto.. love ya.. and tell your great-great-great granny I'll buy her a new scarf to go with that dress she got for Christmas.. okay… Ooroo!"

The team listened to half of the conversation is bemusement and watched as the put her phone into a side pocket of her handbag and turned around just as the lift doors slid open. She stepped into the room and stopped near the entry way.

As one the Avengers stood and Tony was the first to step forward to greet her,

"Hi, you must be the unnamed, undescribed, secret-society member, secret agent who's supped to be joining the Avengers?"

"Oh really? And here I was thinking I was just delivering pizza, sorry I must have the wrong tower." The woman's tone was warm and friendly, taking any insult out of her words. "I'm Harriet Potter, but please call me Harri.

"Tony Stark, a pleasure to meet you." She smiled, shook his hand and Tony realized just how short she was, not even up to his nose, in heels no less. She turned to the others to be introduced and Steve ever the gentleman stepped forward.

"Steve Rogers ma'am."

"Dr. Bruce Banner"

"I am Thor, son of Odin. Well met fair maiden." While Harri had simply shaken the hands of the others she raised her left eyebrow slightly and then greeted him without skipping a beat,

"I am Harriet, daughter of James and Lily. Well met thunder god."

Several eyebrows were raised at her greeting and Natasha stepped forward.

"I'm Natasha Romanov, I hope we work together well. The two women shared an assessing glance and then relaxed, not feeling threatened.

"I'm Clint Barton"

"Righto… so that's introductions done, is this everyone?" Harri asked.

"Nearly miss, I am JARVIS, may I offer you a hot beverage?" Harri to everyone's further surprise didn't even look around but instead replied,

"A mocha chino with two sugars and cream would hit the spot wonderfully right now, thank you." Tony was surprised, as the rest of the team had all nearly suffered heart attacks, and she looked like she expected it.

The coffee machine pinged and JARVIS sounded again,

"If you move to the bar area you drink is sitting on the bench." Harri put her handbag down on a couch and then went to get her coffee.

"Okay, it could just be me, but I'm a genius and even this is a bit weird. How are you not freaked out by JARVIS?" Tony demanded curiously, "Is you secret society like super advanced in technology or something?" Harri laughed a little awkwardly,

"Uh no, I just assumed Jarvis was a servant I didn't see. He is… um.. technology?" She sounded both surprised and slightly apologetic. Tony was quick to catch onto the hint and spoke quickly.

"So no on the technology front but you have servants in your society?"

"Haha, Mr. Stark, I believe I was told that I am not at liberty to divulge information about me explicit background and abilities until such time as my abilities are needed. So please, forgive me if I don't answer your assumptions."

Harri sipped her mocha and sighed, "Oh sweet sugary goodness, I've missed you." That faintly ridiculous statement achieved its intended effect and broke the remaining ice. Natasha ordered a coffee and joined her at the bar while the other slowly left off for their daily activities.

Natasha and Bruce stayed with Harri for the whole day and the most prominent thing they noticed was that she took many phone calls. 27 of them were very nearly identical. The boppy ringtone would go off, Harri would answer with a cheerful, "Potter here, what's your situation?" she would then listen to something for about 2 minutes before saying yes or no. She'd then hang up and continue chatting like nothing had happened.

It was a very odd thing to do and Bruce couldn't stop himself from blurting out after the 1th call,

"Who keeps calling you?" Harri looked at him, smiling gently.

"Work. Unfortunately I have to juggle several jobs at once. I only get called for important decisions, but unluckily I run a very important…. Business."

Tony entered the room in time to hear the last few exchanges and asked, ever attempting to interrogate,

"What is your business? Have we done business before?" Harri looked amused,

"Yes actually, 3 times." But then she changed the topic and refused to say any more.

"Whoa.. Just stop" said Steve, and Harri realized the Avengers were once again all in the room. "How are we supposed to work together as a team? We know nothing about you-"

"Nor I about you" Harri interjected dryly.

"Yes true, but today has just been really weirs. I need to be able to trust the entire team and I can't trust an unknown." Steve said with finality.

Harri sighed and sat up straighter,

"I hoped we wouldn't have this problem. How about this? Think of 10 words."

"10 words?"

"Yes, 10 words about you. Tell me the 10 most important words to you, that best reflect your life, represent you, whatever. Just choose 10 words. If we all do it then we all get to know each other with some safe information."

"Great idea Harri, I'll go first."

"Of course you will Stark, your ego couldn't handle it otherwise." Natasha teased.

"Hm.. righto…" Stark was silent for a short while, "ha, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Steve coughed in amusement and the other Avenger's shared grins. "Afghanistan, Ironman, Pepper, technology, JARVIS and inventions."

Harri nodded thoughtfully, as did some others who didn't expect Pepper to be on the list.

"I shall be next to partake of this venture." Thor. "Asgard, family, duty, honour, Jane, Mjolnir, battle, ale, Migard and…." He fished around for a final one, "teammates"

"I'll go," was Steve's offered suggestion, "Soldier, duty, hero, ice, nuclear, world war 2, pain, transition, Peggy and Bucky." Harri's eyes were kind as she understood and correctly read the pain in some of those words."

They were interrupted here by another mysterious phone call, this one being an annoyed yes. Natasha went after,

"Widow, hunt, death, Clint, SHIELD, Strawberry lollipops, assassin, beauty and acting."

"Huh, lethal mix," was all that Harri had to say.

"My turn," said Clint, "Hawkeye, marksmanship, control, circus, arrows, Natasha, duty, assassin, SHIELD and chocolate chip cookies."

"Then I guess it's my turn." There was an unspoken agreement that Harri would go last, so Bruce spoke.

"Green, monster, rage, helplessness, anger, doctor, science, gamma, hulk and meditation."

Harri blinked at this, which the others took as a sign of surprise. The most she had shown all day.

"Righto… oh it's my turn now isn't it." She laughed awkwardly. "You know when someone asks you what your favourite movie is and you immediately forget every single one you've ever watched?" Tony raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Hmm…" she leant forward on her hands for a brief period of time before saying,

"Old." Considering she looked about 25 max, Tony voiced his opinion that this was an odd opening word.

"Young," followed after, making slightly more sense.

"Death" a tad morbid,

"Life" was she deliberately speaking in opposing pairs?

"Friends" Well that's slightly more positive

"Enemies" and there's the opposite.

"Judgment" a little disturbing for a word,

"Mercy" and there was the opposite, again.

"Phone calls," as if we hadn't figured that one out.

"Memories," not really an opposite. Weird.

Each of her words was followed by input from Tony, but it was Bruce who spoke first.

"How are those words supposed to tell us anything about you? Life and death are very general concepts. They are practically useless."

Harri scoffed. "Like you can talk. What am I supposed to get from your words? That you are a scientist who turns into a green rage monster called hulk when you get angry?"

Silence.

"Um yes actually."

"You're kidding me?" Harri dropped her hands and stared at Bruce as if he had an extra head. Bruce shifted uncomfortably, at last she relaxed and said,

"Well I honestly wasn't expecting that. My words are very truthful about me, and maybe over time you will begin to understand that. Until then, I think I shall retire to my room. Goodnight."

The other Avengers slowly disappeared after this, all thinking over the words and their possible meanings. But each certain, about one thing. Life around the tower just got a lot more interesting.


	2. Code names

10 words part 2- Code names

Author's note: Okay you guys convinced me to write more! It wasn't hard because I wanted to explain a bit of the back story but it's nice to know my ramblings are appreciated.

Harri had been at the tower for a week. Settling into the new environment was interesting for everyone. As they were officially supposed to be a team they decided to iron out the details, such as code names. Which turned out to be a very interesting conversation.

"So you're The Black Widow? Huh, do you tend to eat Clint after sex?" Natasha coughed, a very faint pink tinting her cheeks while Clint was bright red. Tony laughed in amazement, Harri had spoken in such an innocently questioning tone, but her eyes were full of laughter and mischief.

"Yes, well, moving on." Clint cleared his throat, "I'm Hawkeye, on account of my eyesight"

"Fairly obvious, but a very good name."

"I tend not to use my given code name often but in battle I am often called Thunder, or just Thor." Harri giggled a little as his odd speak but knew that Thunder was an appropriate name.

"My code name is a very well kept secret. You must never give it away to anyone who could use it against me." Tony said seriously.

Harri raised an eyebrow and said, "Ironman?"

"Yes, how did you?"

"Tony," she interrupted, "you have the worst secret keeping skills in the history of secrets. I bet I could hide a giant snake under a school more easily then you could hide the fact you are iron man."

Tony blinked. And open and shut his mouth.

"A giant snake under a school." He said it as a statement but everyone knew it was a question. Harri simply waved him off,

"Inside joke, you had to be there, and you weren't so I'm not going to explain it."

"Righto, well Bruce here is Hulk for obvious reasons."

"oh, the obvious I turn into a green thing reason. You know, I don't know about you but turning into a green thing isn't ever the first thing I think of."

Bruce coughed to try and hide his laughter, it was nice having someone like Harri around. Tony tried to laugh around his hulk, Thor was wary of it, Steve treated him like a man with a problem and Natasha and Clint were still a touch trigger happy if he got annoyed. Harri though, she just ignored it, never treating him as anything other than one of her new team mates.

Bruce like that. So did the Hulk, but he couldn't help but feel it would all change once she saw him transformed.

"I'm Captain America" Steve announced

"And I'm Lady England, what does that have to do with the price of basilisk eggs in India?" Harri said sarcastically.

"It's my codename." Steve finished awkwardly.

"Oh right, sorry. Forgot that's what we were talking about. Isn't Captain America a bit of a mouthful to yell during battle though?"

Steve nodded, taking no offence, "Yes it is. I generally get captain or just cap."

"Makes sense." Harri nodded and then furrowed her brow when the group was looking at her expectantly.

"What?"

"Your codename Harri?" Natasha prompted.

Harri blinked, clearly surprised. "Oh I hadn't thought about that. Um, well…."

When she had been silent for about 15 seconds trying to think of one Steve said,

"Surely you've had a codename before."

"Yeah I have, several in fact. Just trying to find one that fits without giving too much away.

"Why don't you do the 10 words thing again?" Bruce suggested.

Harri nodded.

"But make them slightly less vague then life and death alright?" Tony ordered her.

"Alright, alright. Geez. Okay number 1. Girl-Who-Lived." At their blank looks she elaborated. "When I was 15 months old I gained the name girl-who-lived, hyphens included when I was the sole survivor of a terrorist attack back home."

"Next, that's a useless name." Tony announced and Harri laughed,

"You have my complete agreement. Okay, word two. Freak."

At their scandalized faces she smiled a little bitterly in remembrance.

"The attack that made me girl-who-lived also took my parents. I was left with relatives who didn't want me, thus, freak."

"That's horrible" sympathized Natasha, who knew what damage a horrible childhood could do.

"Okay third word. Heir of Slytherin." She didn't even wait to be prompted to explain.

"My school had a series of attacks and they thought the culprit was the heir of Slytherin, a founder of the school and ultimately attempted to blame me because I shared a certain resemblance to Slytherin."

"A codename based on such an unhappy event in your life is not a good idea." Thor decided. "What is a happier one?"

Harri hummed as she thought, "The fourth champion. I was the fourth competitor in a three person competition and I won."

"Huh, well you certainly know how to break rules with style. I like that name." Tony announced as if that settled everything.

"But it is not so suited for an Avenger. Fourth champion, there are 7 of us Tony." Natahsa pointed out.

"Right, so next. Oh mysterious personage of codenames. What is your next name?"

Harri grimaced but said, "The chosen one."

"Well that is certainly dramatic. What were you? A sacrifice?"

A dark chuckle escaped her lips, "Practically. I was chosen to find and kill the terrorist whose attack I had survived as a baby."

"Wow he was still going after all those years, how old were you?"

Harri looked uncomfortable but answered, "15" and gasps echoed around the room.

"Yeah so not such a great name, how about the sixth one?" Bruce asked gently,

"Well a lot happier, but still just as annoying. The Girl-Who-Conquered"

"More hyphens? Gosh your secret society loves those things." Steve commented.

"You have no idea" she said dryly.

"Okay, so no luck so far, seventh word?"

"MOD" It was a one word answer and Harri refused to comment. Except to say,

"You can call me that as it is more of a title then a codename but I can't explain it to you."

The group decided not to, on account of them wanting to hear words 8, 9 and 10.

"The Godmother."

"Well that's a friendly one, but it makes you seem really old, when you look like 25." Said Steve,

"So no?" Harri questioned,

"No" Steve confirmed.

"The Judge."

"And that's a not so friendly one right there. I doubt Fury will let you be an Avenger with a name like that." Natasha stated and the other's agreed.

"Okay. Well this is the last one. It's my favourite, but it also makes me sad. The Golden Trio."

"You are a trio?" Thor questioned.

"No I was part of a trio. The Golden Trio was the name given to us after we killed the terrorist. I was generally called the Golden Girl or leader of the Golden Trio, sometimes just Golden. But I supposed that doesn't work for the Avengers either."

"Not really. Why does it make you sad?" Tony asked

"The two who stood beside me and made the Golden Trio are both long dead. It's hard to be a trio after that."

There was a short silence until Harri put her head down and pushed her hair up with her hands,

"I hate names, why are they so jolly complicated?"

"Lightning Bolt" Bruce blurted.

"Excuse me?" Everyone looked at Bruce confused and he gestured to Harri,

"That scar, I hadn't noticed it before. We could call you lightning bolt"

Harri realized that putting her hands through her hair had revealed the scar and sighed.

"I hadn't seen it either." Suddenly her face was gently grabbed by Tony and he examined the old scar.

"Where did you get this?" he asked. It looked too smooth to be an accident, but who would carve a lightning bolt into someone's head?

Harri simply closed her mouth and refused to answer.

Thor looked closer at the scar and made a startled exclamation.

"It bears the same marking as Mjolnir!"

"I'm sorry?!" Harri asked, completely befuddled.

Thor summoned his hammer from across the room and held it out for Harri to see.

"Look your scar is an exact replica of this rune, the one for worthiness. It is an honourable mark to be able to wear on your forehead."

"You think my scar is a mark of honour because its also on your hammer?"

"Indeed Lady Harri. I wonder what would happen if you held Mjolnir. Thor put the hammer on the ground and the others watched, knowing what would happen.

"What's so special about me trying to hold a hammer?" Harri asked as she bent over and easily picked it up.

"Whoah, what just happened?" Tony said dumbstruck.

Harri turned it over in her hand, admiring it, "It's not really that heavy at all is it. All though I doubt I'd be able to wield it nicely. What?" she trailed off looking at their expressions.

"Have I done something wrong?"

"Harri that hammer belongs to Thor. The lightning bolt signifies that only one who is worthy is able to hold it and it claimed Thor, and has since been unable to be even lifted by someone else. You are holding it." Natasha said.

"Well that settles it." Stated Tony decisively.

"We are definitely calling you Lightning Bolt."

"How on earth do you do the impossible?" Bruce asked her. I tried lifting that as Hulk once and even then I couldn't."

Harri just laughed.


	3. The First Fight

10 words part 3- The first battle

It had been about two months of team bonding before the entire Avengers team was first called in. Tony had been away for a couple of days doing a few assignments and the two SHIELD agents always had something come up.

Harri had gotten to know the Avengers quite well, as well as their hangers on. Pepper Potts and Harri were instant friends and often went on shopping trips that exhausted anyone else who came with them.

The phone calls continued and it drove everyone bonkas trying to work out what they could be. Tony even attempted to place a tracking signal or a bug into her phone but everytime he managed it, it never turned up any data.

Harri got a second phone for the Avengers to call her on, as for some reason she didn't want them to call her on the main one. She told them that,

"This phone is purely for family and emergencies at my private work. I will have another phone for Avengers stuff so I don't get confused."

Tony had announced he was mortally offended that she didn't consider them family and Harri had looked at him oddly.

"My family is the most important thing in my life. They are the one thing in this world that I would do anything for."

That was another strange thing that the team had slowly begun to understand about Harri, the depth of her feelings about her family, well that and the size of her family.

She explained it to them a few weeks in, after she spent nearly three hours on skype talking to a young man about her age with red hair and freckles.

"About 600 years ago there was this family, called the Weasleys. They had 7 children, all with red hair. They were very poor but they had a lot of strength in their family. Over the years this family has grown and grown. There are currently 375 children with Weasley blood in their veins and every single one of them is counted as my family."

"Can you tell us about them?" Natasha had asked,

Ron and Hermione are, were, still will be, my best friends. There is a habit of naming children after the dead ancestors. The original Weasley 7 were, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. Every time someone dies the next child to be born gets their name. I know two Ron's, three Hermione's that I am very close to."

"Whose Hermione? She isn't in the original 7?"

"Oh, huh, she was the wife of the original Ron."

"So how are you part of the family then?" Tony asked, "which Weasley were you named after?"

Harriet pinked, and coughed, feeling embarrased.

"Original Ron and Hermione's best friend, Harri."

"That doesn't answer how you are part of the family, you don't have red hair."

"Well observed Tony, but I cannot answer anymore questions." Harri had left the room quietly then, a small sad smile on her face. She hadn't appeared until dinner.

Slowly, over the course of the two months they had formed some sort of working team. Of course it hadn't been tested in combat and everyone knows the best laid plans never last.

The phone call from Fury came on a Tuesday afternoon. Tony was losing to Harri at chess, badly, which was complaining about, very loudly.

"Avengers Assemble. Calling all Avengers, rendezvous at the Helicarrier ASAP, be prepared for battle."

Immediately the game stopped. Tony stood up and called his suit to him with a flick of his wrist. Natasha and Clint were the first to arrive in the main room, uniforms already on and weapons ready. Bruce was next, wearing a large shirt and some funny looking purple pants with simple canvas shoes. He carried a briefcase that looked like it contained sciency stuff.

When Natasha arrived Harri had ran out to go to her room and so didn't see the arrival of Thor, resplendent in his official armour, or Steve now all fancied up in his Captain America suit. She was the last to arrive, but only by seconds and the group got an eyeful as she stepped into the room.

Harri was an uncommoly beautiful woman, but she always dressed in business type clothes, or formal wear. When she was relaxing, it became lose fitting trackies and jumpers. The team had never seen her in her battle dress before.

Harri was wearing some type of animal skin as armour. Tight knee high boots with a slight rise in them with black pants of the same material tucked into them encased her legs. The pants were very snug, outlining their well-formed curves and muscles. Her shirt was long sleeved made of the same black material. She had numerous daggers easily visible on her person, by numerous, Tony could count as least 50. The clothing was skin tight but somehow still had room to fit all those knives. Amazing.

Her hair was up in a tight bun, lightning bolt scar easily visible. There were two funny looking holsters on the wrist of each arm that the others could only see as Harri had her arms lifted to her neck, fastening some type of cloak. She let it fall and it tumbled around her body like silk. It was black but had a slight tinge to it, that could have been red, or purple depending on the light.

It completely obscured the rest of her outfit and she looked up at her team.

"Ready to go. How are we getting there?"

"Hot, sexy and dangerous."

"Tony what in Merlin's name has that got to do with travel?"

"I wasn't talking about travel, I was talking about that rather fitting outfit you have on."

Harri blushed, "oh, right. Um thanks? I didn't chose it. This is standard battle wear, where I'm from anyway." She amended at the team various looks.

The assembled group all made their way to the jet stored on the very top of Stark Tower, even Tony. As he claimed that he didn't want to have to spend more time with Fury when he could look at the outfit Harri was wearing instead. He got hit over the head by Natasha for that comment.

They flew straight to the Helicarrier and were all seated in the briefing room in a remarkable 35 minutes. It was actually the first time Harri had met Fury, the man had preferred to take a hands off approach with the unknown variable. He was surprised to see a long cloak, and was confused by how it could be battle worthy but she took it off when she sat down and his eye quickly assessed the dangerous looking knives, small splashes of colour against her black outfit.

"Banner, Stark, Romanov, Barton, Odinson, Rogers and for the first time Potter." He greeted them frowning around his eye patch. Harri simply raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded,

"Director Fury, what is the situation?"

Ah so she was someone who didn't like to dwell on pleasantries. He could deal with that.

"There has been an accident in a military base 60 miles from New York. A group of scientists were experimenting with creating robots that can repair themselves."

Tony groaned and the team could see where this was going.

"These robots, 10 in total have seized control of the base and killed all the scientists."

"Wait, the robots are in control, they are intelligent?" Bruce questioned.

"We do not have intel on whether they have revolted or someone is behind this, controlling them. All we know is we have 10 robots who can repair themselves from any sort of metal heading towards New York city as we speak. I need you guys to stop them, yesterday."

"All right, no need to get your knickers in a knot." Tony quipped, attempting to allievate stress in his usual manner. Harri smirked and stood first. She loosened a dagger that had a blue edged handle and passed it Fury.

"Here, hang onto this for me will you? There is a technical worker on this ship who is behind the attack and he will attempt to get you at some point."

The entire room went silent and they stared.

"Wait, what?" Steve was the first to speak, completely incredulous.

"This is a battle situation, that means I can finally show you my skills. When I give a warning," she looked at the director, "heed it." Her face was hard and uncompromising and Fury found himself tightening his fingers around the dagger.

The team climbed into the small plane that would take them to the robots and sat in bemused silence for about 30 seconds.

"So what can you do?" Tony asked.

Harri scoffed, "Still can't tell you Ironman, just observe me closely and ask questions later.

They arrived and got out about 100 metres away from the advancing robots. They looked chunky and slow moving. Hardly dangerous, but if they could repair themselves…. It was a good idea not to judge the robot by its shell, as Tony announced cheerfully.

"Call it captain," Natasha ordered.

"Alright, Ironman, they can repair from any metal, so keep yourself away from them. Set up a perimeter and stop them advancing, blast them back to us.

"Hulk, you know what to do, aim for the metal.

"Widow and Hawkeye, work together and keep the right boundary, don't let them spread out too much.

"Thor, use the hammer and see if they respond to a little lightning.

"Bolt you're with me to push from the left boundary."

The team looked at each other grimly for a moment before turning to face their adversary. It was a good thing they didn't underestimate their opponent.

These repairing robots were very difficult to defeat. They stopped them advancing easily enough, but defeating them was practically impossible. Harri used her throwing knives and some scarily excellent marksmanship to cut their circuits but they kept functioning without them. Steve had worried a little at first, that's why she was with him, as he felt responsible for her, but within 5 minutes he had seen just how excellent her maneuverability was. Harri moved like water and struck with perfect precision each time.

The battle was stale, going no where.

"Cap, I think we need a new plan, we stopped them moving, but we are gonna tire out soon enough and they aren't. they just keep on repairing themselves."

Harri stopped fighting for a brief second, long enough for Steve to glance at her serious face. He was surprised when she spoke for the first time over their comm system.

"I'll finish them then, ironman, get behind me."

"Wait, what?" Tony was very confused, how could Harri finish them when all she had were knives? Then he remembered the serious look on her face as she had said heed my warning back on the ship and decided to move.

As soon as Tony was behind her, Harri dropped her current knifes and freed both hands. She strode towards the robots, who instantly focused on the new threat. Steve was very worried, and the rest of the team practically stopped to stare, including the hulk.

When the first robot started to come close, Harri moved.

Whipping out her right hand they saw she held something, a thin rod of some kind, and she yelled one word,

"Fiendfyre!"

To the utter amazement of the team, thick ropes of fire spewed from the rod, they raced through the air to wrap around the robot. More and more fire came from the want and formed into animals, racing through the air. They rounded up all the robots and contained them. Unbearable heat was coming off the huge fire and Harri kept the stick out and somehow guided the flames to go smaller and smaller, before finally they disappeared. All that was left of the robots was a small pile of metal. Tony flew over to look at it, before anyone could tell him it was a bad idea and discovered it was knives.

Specifically, Harri's knives. The various colour bands around the edges slightly darkened but all intact. The ground itself was a huge blackened circle and all the robots had been melted into vapour.

The team was in shock, but predictably in this case Thor was the first to recover,

"You never told us you were able to manipulate the forces of magic."

Harri laughed, wearily and then sighed. The team could suddenly see how tired she appeared.

"I couldn't, remember. Sworn to secrecy and all that."

They trudged back to the plane, deciding to leave the clean up job to Fury and his slaves. The entire battle had taken probably 40 minutes and all were tired and in need of a shower.

As they sat in their seats, Tony, ever the interrogator spoke first,

"So… you have a stick that starts a fire, that is over 3000 degrees centrigrade."

"Yes I do." Harri laughed.

"Wait, the Big guy said you used magic."

Harri paused, opened her mouth and then stopped.

"Hey, no rush," this was Bruce, having just transformed back, "10 words remember. Give us the 10 words."

"Okay… well. First word is… magic."

"Aha so Thor was right!" tony exclaimed triumphantly

"Second word, is what I am called. Witch."

"That's a bit of a nasty term to call yourself."

"No Tony, it is what I am. I am part of a secret society of witches and wizards."

Silence.

"Third word, wand."

"So it's not a staff like Loki had?" Steve questioned.

"Well some great wizards used staffs, people like Merlin, that sort of thing."

"Wait, Merlin was real?" this was Clint, who looked so excited, "like actual real? That's why you always swear about him."

"Yeah he's pretty big back home. Um fourth word, Spells."

"The fire was a spell. What did you say. Fiendish fire or something."

"Fiendfyre. It is latin for cursed fire. I summoned the very fire from Hell to melt the robots." Everyone blinked at that.

"Hell is real?" Natahsa asked, suddenly very interested,

Harri frowned, "no, yes," she sighed, "it depends on who your enemies are and some of the actions you take in life. There are a specific set which will place your soul into eternal torment. They are impossible to achieve without being a wizard, so don't worry too much."

"Fifth word?" Bruce prompted.

"No sixth, Fiendfyre was the fifth. Um… seer."

There was a brief pause where no one spoke, trying to riddle out what Harri had told them.

"Nope I give up," Tony announced.

"Do you mean the warning you gave to Fury?" Steve asked.

"Yes, a seer can see the future. One of the tech crew is currently attacking Fury when he heard that the robots failed. My knife is plenty enough to protect him."

"You can see the future? Do we ever sleep together?" A very typical Tony question, and Harri blushed bright red and squeaked.

"Tonyyyy!" everyone laughed loudly at her discomfort.

"Okay seventh word, transfiguration."

"Um what?" Clint had no idea what she even just said.

Harri smiled cheekily. "The art of turning something into something else. She snapped her fingers and suddenly Tony was wearing a beautiful flowing blue dress and his hair was long blonde ringlets.

"What?! Get me out of this!" The team laughed even harder at his misfortune.

"Serves you right for hitting on a witch," Bruce declared.

Taking pity on her friend she removed the spell. Tony hurried over to his suit to check his hair in the reflective surface.

"Okay eighth word. Charms."

No one had an explanation for that and so Harri just snapped her fingers. Bruce's head shot up and he stared into her eyes, untterly fascinated.

"How… what.. how did you do that?" his voice was husky.

"Calming charm, it worked like a treat. The hulk relies on your anger, so I just removed that temporarily."

The team was stunned into silence again, this witch was able to combat the hulk, a feat that not even the best weapons Tony had once produced could have done.

"Ooookay.. um ninth word. Potions"

"Wait as in fire burn and cauldron bubble?" Tony asked excitedly.

"Yes," she reached into a pocket of her cloak, that had been left on the plane and removed 6 vials. She passed them to everyone and said bottoms up. Unsurprisingly no one did, having just witnessed Tony's transformation into the drag queen.

"Oh Sweet Salazar, it's a healing potion, to make sure you don't need to spend time with the doctor when we get home."

All the potions were eagerly tipped back then and the reactions were hilarious. Harri laughed at the faces they pulled at the disgusting taste. But she did tell the truth, the all immediately felt more alert and less tired, their aches faded and they felt fresh again.

"Amazing," breathed Clint, "I could use this all the time."

"Yes, well it's addictive, and jolly well expensive to make, so you can't have it all the time." Harri informed him steadily.

"What is in it?" Bruce questioned, the ever present eager scientist.

"Uh sure you want to know? You just drank it after all." At his nod she continued,

"Diluted bubotuber pus, boomslang thorns, phoenix tears and several other expensive ingredients."

Natasha suddenly felt a little green, "I just drank pus?"

"Diluted pus, the full strength is poisonous. It's just there to stop the potion from attempting to over heal you."

"Still, gross. I did not want to know that Bruce."

Bruce looked faintly grossed too. "I'm not so sure I did either."

"Okay final word, 62442 663."

"Huh?"

"My phone number. I'd be honoured to let you guys call me." Harri smiled nervously as them and Stark decided to reassure her.

"So you think of us a family! I'm honoured. I've always wanted a wife."

Harri gasped, then shook her head and chuckled.

"I'll be your big sister Stark."

"Big sister? You aren't old enough to be my big sister."

"I'm everyone's big sister, you hippogriff."

"Oh, well… I guess that's alright then."

Silence.

"Hey, what's a hippogriff? Did she just insult me in witch-speak?"


	4. The Aftermath

10 Words Part 4- The Aftermath

The team arrived back to the Helicarrier and strode to the main control deck to find Fury. He wasn't there and they were directed to his office. Harri smirked and the other's raised eyebrows. Upon arriving they found Director Fury pointing his gun at a person bound on a chair, the blue handled knife on the table next to him. Fury looked up at their entrance but continued to interrogate the man in from of him.

"Explain to me now Hodges. Why did you take control of the robots?"

The man refused to answer and just struggled with his bonds. Harri spoke up,

"How long have you been questioning him?"

"Not long, maybe 20 minutes. Your knife knocked him out immediately so I just had to wait for him to come round. What substance have you got on it?"

"Poison." Harri answered cheerfully. "Just the not lethal kind. Do you want the information quicker or are you happy to just wait it out?"

The team looked in askance at Harri, and Fury lowered his weapon. Thinking correctly that he would get to see some of her skills. Harri moved to sit on the edge of the table next to the knife. She gestured and suddenly Hodges chair moved closer.

Fury, and Hodges who had no concept of magic were both a little freaked out, Fury's attempt at hiding it admittedly far better. Harri grasped his chin in his hand and looked into his eyes.

"Robots" she said as if expecting to be instantly told everything. Then she sat in silence staring for a short amount of time before continuing,

"Assassination"

"Robbery"

"Really is that it?" She let go of Hodges and looked up at the others.

"It was an assassination attempt on Fury here. The robots were the distraction and Hodges here would take out Fury before stealing information on how to connect to the bi-frost, whatever that is, didn't ask."

The group had mixed reactions, some a little worried that Harri would know every secret of theirs is she looked into their eyes and others just completely bemused.

"Potter. What the hell?" Fury bit out, really not liking the number of instances he had been on the back foot in regards to this new Avenger.

"Um.. well… how about we adjourn to the briefing room and we'll discuss it later. But first." She reached forwards and tapped Hodges on the head. His eyes went strangely blank and then he declared,

"You'll get no information from me Fury!"

That statement just raised even more questions for the others but Stark guessed that it had something to do with his memory.

The team moved in an orderly chaos to the briefing room and sat around the large table.

"Okay, good work out there Avengers. I don't know how you stopped them as I got attacked by a techie but I am glad to see the new dynamic works."

"Actually before we continue," Harri interrupted, "Can I get a mocha? I seriously am in need of a chocolate, caffeine and sugar fix right now."

"No you can't Potter." Fury said, "The cafeteria is too far away to fetch drinks right now."

"See that's just unacceptable. Twinky, adducite mihi mocha." Fury looked taken aback and opened his mouth before a cup popped into existence sitting just in front of Harri.

It was a huge takeaway mocha, and Harri happily picked it up and took a sip, announcing her usual worship to the caffeine goods

"Sweet Merlin, this is amazing." Then she looked up, "Now you can continue."

This was too much for Tony and Bruce who both burst into laughter at seeing Fury so nonplussed.

"First, who the heck are you? Second, what the heck are you? And third, what the heck can you do?" Fury questioned steadily, his twitch in his eyebrow the only giveaway of his annoyance.

Harri looked at the others and said, "I am Harriet Potter, the seventh Avenger. I have powers that allow me to do pretty much everything and I have been officially classed as a witch since birth."

"More magic" Fury deadpanned. "I thought it was just Loki that used magic."

"So did I, Director. It is not just you who has learnt many new things on this day of battle." Thor attempted to comfort in his wordy way.

Harri said no more and sipped her coffee while the group explained the battle. Suddenly there was the familiar jingle of her phone and Harri pulled it out of nowhere to answer it.

"Potter here, what's your situation?" This was Fury's first observance of the regular mystery and the whole group silenced as they watched her listen. Harri frowned, clearly not happy before nodding and breathing out a "yes". She became aware of the raised eyebrows and questioning looks and smiled wearily.

"Just got a little sad news is all."

"From who?" Tony asked casually, as if he'd never inquired about the phone calls before.

"Tony, dearest, I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you." That had become the typical response that she always gave when questioned and Tony smiled is acknowledgement.

"So Potter, care to explain yourself?"

"I already did." Harri acted as if she had no idea what Fury was talking about but Bruce could see the mischievous glint in her eyes from his seat opposite her.

"What was the dagger and the staring thing?"

"Harri removed her five different coloured daggers from beneath her cloak and laid them on the table.

"Green, straight dagger no coating. Red, coated with a paralytic that keeps them conscious but immobilized. Blue, coated with a non-lethal poison that will knock anything out for approximately 20 minutes. Yellow, slow acting poison that will kill in 36 hours, perfect for assassinations. Black, most lethal acting poison known to mankind, kills in 5 seconds."

There was a brief silence as she packed the knives away carefully. Before Fury prompted,

"And the staring thing?"

"It is a lost art called Leglimency. I used prompt words and eye contact to read his thoughts."

Fury didn't like the sound of that at all.

"You can read minds?" he questioned as he averted his eyes to somewhere over her shoulder. If eye contact were necessary then he wouldn't give it.

Harri laughed, "Sweetheart, eye contact just makes it painless. I can read everyone's minds. I just don't because I have principles. Well that and it's plain annoying."

"Have you ever read my mind?" Tony wanted to know.

"Nope" she said popping the P. "And I don't want to. Who knows what perverted things you think about."

Eventually the group was back at Stark Tower and they all separated off to go clean up. Even though the potions had healed them up, they were still weary. They met back up for dinner and ate in relative silence.

"Hey Harri?"

"Yeah Clint?"

"Can you show us some more magic?" The other team members perked up at this and Harri smiled and then frowned.

"I still can't just show you guys stuff willy nilly."

"Ha she said willy." Tony crowed,

"What are you, 3?" Natasha asked. "Why can't you?"

"There is this thing called the statute of secrecy and I'd get in lots of trouble for breaking it. Muggles aren't allowed to know details about the magical world unless they have magical children or spouses."

"Well that settles it, you have to marry me." Tony announced and Harri snorted with laughter.

"Wait what's a muggle?"

"You are Tony. There are two types of humans on earth, muggle and magical."

"So if we guess something could you show us?"

Harri thought for a moment and then smiled.

"Sure, but you're gonna have to pretty specific. You won't be able to say do transfiguration, you're going to need to say turn this table into a pig or something."

"You can do that? Turn a table into a pig?" Clint asked, eyes wide with child like excitement.

Harri clicked her fingers and the table they had just vacated became a large sow. Thor walked up to the pig and poked it before Harri changed it back.

"Okay, now magic isn't just for funsies, okay guys. I'll give you 10 things you wanna see."

"So nine more?" Natasha asked.

"Nah, ten. The pig was a freebie."

"One each then and we can organise the rest later." Steve ordered, in his captain voice, struggling to contain his excitement about magic.

"Right, well, Harri can you fly?" Tony asked and Harri full on grinned.

"There are several answers to that question Tony, all of them yes. But the coolest version is this." Harri flicked pulled a small toothpick from the back of her watch and then tapped it. It grew and enlarged until,

"A broomstick?! You actually have a broomstick?" Bruce couldn't believe it. Harry laughed and let it go, it hovered at waist height.

"Anyone want a ride?" she asked as she sat on it.

"Ooh me me me!" Tony exclaimed like a child.

"Well climb on then." Tony stood behind Harri and at her direction put his arms around her waist. Pepper was there watching and Tony grinned at her,

"Look Pep, I'm flying without my suit."

"Not yet you aren't" said Harri and then she gently kicked off. The broom rose steadily and then she maneuvered it around the room a few times before bringing it back down.

"That is awesome. Can it go fast?" Tony asked as soon as he was standing.

"Faster then your suit."

Exclamations of surprise echoed around the room.

"It's true. This, my friends is the Lightning Bolt 6000. Fastest racing broom in the world. There are only seven in existence and I own three of them."

"Okay, my turn." Said Clint,

"Can you turn yourself into an animal?"

"A witch or wizard can become what is called an animagus, literally animal wizard. They can assume the form of their spirit animal through intensive study of self transfiguration."

"So that means you can?" Clint asked, not fully understanding what Harri had said.

"Yes." Harri moved for a little space and then closed her eyes. She shrunk and in her place stood a huge completely black lioness. The eyes were still the glowing emeralds that belonged to Harri.

"Whoa, her spirit animal is a whopping great lion." Bruce moved away from Harri warily but the cat waved its tail in a mischievous manner before pouncing on Clint and rolling in a friendly play fight. Everyone had a pat or cuddle in Tony's case and then Harri morphed back into herself.

"I love magic." Clint announced happily.

"Can you do a spell for us?" Bruce asked,

"You're going to need to be a bit more specific, Bruce. Do you want something that just happens or to see the actual spell light?"

"Spell light?"

"Offensive and defensive spells are a jet of coloured light, which allows a person to dodge, catch and defend in a duel. It's a bit like shooting a water pistol."

"Ooh let's see one of those then."

"Okay." Harri pulled out her wand from her wrist holster and aimed it at a small sculpture by the window.

"Reducto" A beam of dark red light flew out and hit the sculpture and it was instantly turned into dust.

"Hey, I think that was valuable" Tony exclaimed in mock horror, but the whole team were impressed.

"Do you know many spells like that?" Bruce asked.

"Bruce, I've forgotten more spells in my lifetime than most wizards ever know. My arsenal is practically limitless."

"Really? Are they all for attacking?" Natasha asked.

"Transfiguration and charms, the ones I do without a wand are still spells. Children are taught them with a wand and an incantation and then the helps are slowly removed as they gain more control over their magic. Offensive spells can be performed without a wand but it is harder to aim, as they need to be shot with pure will. There are spells for practically everything."

"Can you guard something?" Natasha asked.

"In several ways. Ever been in an Egyptian Pyramid?"

There was a chorus of yes's and a few no's before Harri continued.

"They were built by wizards and the curses on them are very real. The original grave robbers had to be very, very skilled not to get caught in them. Typically this branch of magic is called warding."

"Can you show us one?"

Harri thought for a few seconds before saying,

"Sure. I'll show you the fidelius charm. It is a near perfect charm for a spy like you. It works by hiding information, such as a location or a person inside the mind of another. They are called the secret keeper and anyone who doesn't know the secret will not even realize if they are looking at them. Here I'll hide you."

Using her wand, Harri cast the complicated spell, the other's watching in vivid interest at the complex wand movements and Latin mutterings.

"Clint come here." Clint went, and Harri tapped his heart with her wand.

Instantly the room went silent. Natasha raised her eyebrows, along with Clint. Nothing had changed.

"Well come on Harri you said you'd show us a ward." Tony whined.

"Tony, who asked me to show you a ward?" Harri said, smiling indulgently.

Tony blinked. As did the others.

"I've no idea," he said after a short pause.

"How many Avengers are there?" Harri asked, as Natasha and Clint stood dumbstruck.

"6 of course."

"Have there always been six?"

"No, we were five before you came."

"Name them for me Bruce,"

Bruce looked slightly confused at this request but did so anyway,

"Tony, me, Clint, Thor and Steve."

Clint looked astonished and Natasha exclaimed,

"I'm right here guys." The others didn't even hear her speak, and Harri watched as Natasha made her way around the room waving in their faces and attempting to be noticed.

"Okay I'll let you in on the secret. Clint tell them where she is."

"Natasha is standing next to Bruce."

"Whoa!" There was a stunned atmosphere in the room as the team suddenly remembered their other female team member.

"I didn't even realize there should have been someone else in my memories. That was super creepy." Steve said.

"It is an effective tool. If you can trust the person who holds your secret you will always be hidden." Harry commented gently, if anyone picked up on the slightly bitter undertones, no one spoke up.

"I thought nothing had happened at first, but it was as if I was invisible without being invisible." Natasha said, sitting back down on the couch, as Steve asked,

"Can you go invisible?"

Harri smiled again.

"There are two ways commonly used. The first is the disillusionment charm. It isn't true invisibility more like active camouflage."

She cast the spell wandlessly and then stood up and moved around.

"See how you can still see the ripples as it adjusts to the background. It's mostly suited to sneaking around." She cancelled the spell and then Steve asked,

"What's the other way?"

Harri grimaced but answered,

"Invisibility cloak. It renders anything underneath is invisible."

"Cool, do you have one?"

Again Harry grimaced and then answered, "Yes, but I'd prefer not to get it out. It holds some pretty potent memories for me."

There was a slightly awkward pause before Thor took his turn.

"My brother Loki is able to transport himself instantly. Can you do similar?"

"You"

"Mean"

"Like"

"This?"

Harri asked and each word was punctuated by a soundless pop to a different space in the room.

"How do you do that?" Tony wanted to know.

"It is called apparition and it is basically the compression of the matter inside your body into pure magic which then flows instantly to where it needs to be before reforming."

"Can you take people with you?" Thor asked, probably wondering how similar it was to Loki.

"Yes, and if you want I'll pop you around, but it is a very disconcerting experience the first few times."

"Alright, what do I need to do?" Thor asked. Harri just walked to him and touched his arm gently.

There was a slightly louder pop and they appeared just in front of the couch on the other side of the room. Thor collapsed onto his knees, gasping for breath and Harri pushed him gently onto the couch.

"Breathe, you'll be fine in a sec."

"I feel like my insides have been clenched so hard they are trying to make their way up through my mouth."

Harri laughed. "That's completely normal Thor. It takes about 20 successful apparition trips before you become comfortable with the feeling."

"Well remind me next time that I don't want to become comfortable with this feeling."

"Can I make a request?" Pepper asked.

"Sure, what do you want to see?"

"Is there such a thing a cosmetic spells, like a witch version of makeup?"

"Yes there is" laughed Harri. "Glamour charms can be used to assume a whole other identity like this." She waved her hand in front of her face and morphed into a second Pepper, clothes and all.

"That is beyond awesome. Pepper it's hardly cheating if she is you right?" Tony announced looking like the cat had got the cream.

"Tonnyyyyy!" Harri scolded and Pepper laughed. Harri morphed back into herself and then whacked Tony for good measure.

"There are also many beauty charms which can do several things. My personal favourite is the invisibra spell."

"Invisibra?" Natasha asked,

"Gives you all the support of your most comfortable bra but with out being a bra."

"Ooh care to demonstrate?" Tony leered as Steve and Bruce looked a little uncomfortable.

"I use that one daily. I don't actually own any bras."

"Wow, that is so amazing. Magic really can do everything." Pepper said.

"Well that's seven things, what do you want next?"

"Um I don't know if it's a spell. But what's a hippogriff?" Tony asked, still curious about the insult.

Harri laughed freely.

"It's a magical animal. Half eagle, half lion."

"Isn't that a griffin?" Bruce asked, thinking back to children's tales of his childhood.

"No, other half. A griffin has the front half of a lion, a hippogriff has the front half of an eagle."

"Are there other magical animals?" Bruce questioned, eager to learn more.

"Yes, in fact." Harri paused and then held out her arm.

"Fawkes!" She called and suddenly there was a blaze of light above her head and a gorgeous bird appeared. It had red and gold plumage and flew to sit on Harri's outstretched arm.

"This is Fawkes, my familiar. He is a phoenix."

"Phoenixes exist?" Tony asked in awe.

"Of course they do, I told you earlier that the healing potion had phoenix tears in it."

Harri stood and took Fawkes around to be patted by everyone.

"Tell us about Phoenixes." Steve requested.

"They don't die, but when it comes time for their death they are reborn from their ashes. Their tears have uncommonly powerful healing properties. They can teleport with something called flashing, based on fire. They are very loyal companions and their song brings joy to the good of heart."

"Their song?" Natasha asked.

Harri stroked Fawkes who obliging opened his beak. The most beautiful melody floated out and the entire team was moved to hear it. It gave comfort and strength and laughter and love, all through the single melody.

"Astounding" breathed Bruce, "it even calmed the hulk down."

Fawkes decided he had had enough attention and flew off of Harri's arm and flashed away.

"He was beautiful" Pepper commented.

"So what next?" Harri asked her audience.

There was a brief silence while they all thought and then Steve said,

"Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat?" When the others looked at him in amusement he said,

"What? I figure that's something every magic person should learn to do."

Harri got her wand out again and cheerfully created a large sleek black top hat and then reached in and pulled out a white floppy eared rabbit to the applause of those watching.

"One more" Harri warned as she turned around to tap the rabbit that had run away, making it disappear.

"Abra Kedabra" Tony announced cheerfully and Harri whirled round, wand out and aimed at his face instantly, expression deadly.

"What did you say?" she asked darkly,

"Whoa, um.. Just Abra Kedabra" Tony backtracked, raising his hands in surrender.

Harri instantly relaxed, and apologized,

"Sorry, I thought you said something different and I was thinking I was going to need to start a fight."

"Why does Abra Kedabra worry you?" Steve asked.

"Those two words are the muggleization of the darkest spell in the world."

"It creates night?"

"No." Harri sighed wearily before sitting down and continuing to talk.

"There are two types of magic. Light and Dark. Generally they are considered good and evil, but it can be a bit of a misnomer. There are magical communities all over the world, each with their own government and laws.

"There is one law however. Three spells are absolutely illegal. They are called the Unforgivables. If one casts these spells on another person it will earn you instant life in prison or the death penalty, depending on where you are."

"What are the spells?" Steve asked, curious.

Harri hesitated.

"The first, is the least dark I suppose. It is called The imperius curse. What it does is control. When cast on another person you have complete control over their thoughts, their actions and their magic."

Clint paled and sat back down. Natasha grasped his hand.

"The second is the Cruciatus curse. It causes every nerve ending in the body to simultaneously seizure, causing unimaginable pain. Exposure to the curse for longer than two and a half minutes will result in your mind snapping, followed by death, or life in a vegetable state."

Natasha shuddered just thinking about it.

"The final curse," Harri seemed to draw courage before continuing, "is the Avada Kedavra"

"I see why you thought I said the wrong thing." Tony remarked.

"It is a spell that causes instant death. It cannot be stopped, blocked or countered in any way. The Avada is the darkest spell because it takes pure hatred and will power to want to kill someone to cast."

"Have you ever cast them?" Tony asked and Pepper hissed,

"Tony, you just can't ask someone that!"

"Yes."

Silence.

"Yes I have. I am actually exempt to the law regarding the spells." Harri said uncomfortably quiet.

"Why are you exempt?" Tony asked, ignoring Pepper's exasperated sigh.

"Chosen One remember? The Wizarding world chose me to be a murderer."

"Cast the imperius on me." Tony stated.

"What? Tony you idiot," Pepper started but was cut off by Harri,

"I could if you wanted me to Tony. The imperius can be fought off if you have a strong enough mind. I would promise not to endanger your physical health if you are making a serious request."

The team had mixed thoughts but Tony nodded seriously.

"I don't know how many wizards are in the world but if someone ever cast the curse at me, I'd want to know what to look out for. See if I can find some way of beating it. Do it."

Clint looked troubled and Harri took a steadying breath.

"You ready?" At Tony's nod she cast the spell, "imperio," a dull orange spell hit Tony, who acted as if nothing had happened.

"Tony, declare your undying love for Natasha in poem."

Tony knelt on the floor by Natasha's feet and took her hand,

"Natasha, Natasha to what shall I like thee?

You are more fair then even the honeybee.

More deadly than the scorpion's sting,

Oh how I wish that you'd make me your king."

Tony looked like he would continue, oblivious to the chuckles around him before Harri commanded,

"Sit on Thor's lap and tell him what you think of his hair."

Tony followed the instructions eagerly, and the room was soon in raucous laughter. Then Harri ended the spell and Tony realized where he was and what he was doing. He jumped up and flushed, causing even more laughter.

"That was really weird. I knew what I was doing, but I didn't seem like anything was wrong. It felt like a really good idea to do that stuff." Tony explained to the others.

"Well we learnt one thing didn't we?" Steve commented.

"What's that?" Harri asked.

"Tony can't rhyme if his life depended on it."


	5. Remembrance Day

10 Words 5- Remembrance Day

May the first was the first time the Avengers met anyone from Harri's family. Everyone was at Stark tower when JARVIS announced the visitor,

"Sir, there is a person with a package for Ms Potter. Shall I send them up?"

Tony looked at Harri who nodded eagerly, rising from the table where she had been eating her lunch to wash her hands and then went and stood very close to the lift doors. As soon as they opened she practically threw herself into the persons arms with a cry of,

"George!"

George eagerly hugged Harri, lifting her up and spinning her around, to her delight.

"Merlin's Balls Harri, it's been far too long."

The other Avengers were sort of used to Harri swearing by random body parts of Merlin but hearing a complete stranger say it was very funny and Tony burst into laughter. George put Harri down and turned round to see who else was there.

"George this is Tony and Bruce, Tony and Bruce this is my little brother, George."

They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before Harri asked,

"Have you got my package?" George's brow furrowed before he stood up and patted down his pockets.

"Sir, you left your crate in the lift" JARVIS pointed out helpfully. George like Harri didn't react to the odd voice with surprise but instead deflated,

"I was trying to trick her and everything." He whined. Being too lazy to fetch the crate he summoned it with his wand. It settled gently next to Harri who touched it fervently before looking up at George.

"Thank you."

"Not a problem sweetheart. Will you be wanting my company?" Harri frowned and shook her head,

"No I think I'll just do this year by myself. I don't want anyone else getting sick." This time it was George's turn to frown.

"Harri, have you even told your team mates about tomorrow?" She murmured a non-answer and looked at the floor. "What am I going to do with you?" George said before he wrapped his arms around Harri and pulled her close.

"Hey Mister Stark is all your team around?"

"Hear that Bruce, it's my team. And yes we're all here." Bruce stuck his tongue out at Tony while sneaking a worried glance at Harri.

"JARVIS could you call my team here. I think it's kinda important." JARVIS put the message out and not too long later, the team was all assembled near George, Harri and the wooden crate.

George looked down at Harri and whispered in her ear, she just shook her head and George pulled her tighter.

"Okay looks like I get to play story time."

"What's wrong with Harri?" Steve demanded, his captain side worried for his team member.

"May the second is a difficult day for Harri. It is the anniversary of the end of the second Wizarding World War. Over the years she has developed a system. She will hold a vigil in silence from midnight to 12 pm and then drink herself unconscious for the next 12 hours to remember her fallen friends and foes."

"Now I don't want to be the voice of reason, because frankly that just doesn't sit well with me. But isn't that sort of a bad thing to be doing? Shouldn't she have some sort of ceremony with the other survivors?" Tony asked, completely clueless.

Harri tensed in George's arms and he scowled,

"There were 8,427 people involved in the second Wizarding War and every single one is dead except for Harri. Who is she supposed to hold a ceremony with you insensitive prat?"

The room was floored. How on earth had Harri been the only survivor? Harri lifted her head and gently calmed George,

"It's okay, they didn't know. I wasn't going to tell them and just do it in my room."

"Harri, darling," George comforted her, "I've gotten you 10 bottles of Odgen's finest and 5 of the half-strength. If you don't have the others with you, you will attempt to drink it all and kill yourself like you did six years ago."

"That was one time" Harri protested.

"And that was the last time we allowed you to spend May second alone. Now you have a choice, I bring round the Weasleys or you let your team mates in. What'll it be?"

Harri was silent for a bit, her usual inner strength sapped out before she looked to the Avengers.

"Would you guys like to accompany me tomorrow? It means no sleep."

Tony felt bad for what he said and instantly agreed,

"Harri I've gone 74 hours without sleep before, a day won't kill me. And besides, seeing you drunk has to be hilarious."

"I understand the pain of losing comrades in arms, I will be honoured to help you remember them." Thor declared.

"I'm not able to get drunk, but I'm sure it'll be fun watching you." Steve said.

"What if we get called in tomorrow?" Natasha asked, "some crazy goes on a killing spree?"

"We won't" Harri said confidently, the support of her friends making her feel better. "I don't even take phone calls on may the second. Fury won't want us."

"Then I'd be happy to join you."

"Count me in, I love alcohol" Clint said, and the whole group looked expectantly as Bruce.

"I, uh, don't think it's such a good idea to mix alcohol and the Hulk, but I'll hold the vigil with you."

"Oh Bruce," Harri smiled, "I can lock Hulk away for 24 hours if you want so you can drink too."

"Lock him away?"

"There is a spell I can use that will stop you from transforming, basically it locks you into your human form." Bruce nodded.

"Okay, see they're gonna be with me. So stop worrying."

"You know I always worry. And I don't want you overdrinking okay. If I see any bottles that I didn't give you you're going to be in trouble."

"What 12 hours of drinking with only one type of drink?" Tony asked, shocked.

Harri laughed, "No three, really. Butterbeer, Half-strength firewhiskey and full strength firewhiskey. Just butterbeer's not alcoholic."

"I want you to swear on something that matters that you won't overdrink." George said somberly.

Harri grinned.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

George laughed and Harri joined in. The Avengers relaxed, but were each worried about what they had gotten themselves into. Harri had become a valuable friend and team member in the 4 months she'd been in their team. Seeing her so vulnerable was new and uncomfortable.

Bruce was worried. Harri had always been so strong, and confident. It was an eye opener to see her upset about anything. His mind couldn't even boggle how much death Harri had seen in her life time to be the only living survivor of a war.

It was late afternoon before George left with a cheerful wave to the others but a heartfelt hug to Harri.

"Right. I'm going to get some shuteye so I can concentrate for tomorrow. Tony can we use the party room upstairs? Cos its got more space?"

"Sure thing. Do you want us to take up the box?"

"Yeah that'd be good. If you want to be involved meet me up there around 11:30. Because I will be unaware of the world for so long I have to put up some wards, especially for when I'm drunk. Who knows where I'd wonder off. And once the wards are up you won't be able to leave the floor."

The team acquiesced and headed off to various locations to kill the hours before the vigil started.

At 11:30 they were all upstairs and they stood around the wooden box that was dropped off earlier.

"Right, thanks for being here guys. It means a lot to me." Harri said awkwardly, but with feeling, "Now some ground rules. Between 12 am and 12 pm please don't talk. I hold vigil, you don't have to do the same but I'd appreciate the silence. After that it's party central until May the third."

Harri set the wards up, explaining that they'd allow the team to go anywhere on the level but not leave it, so that when they were drunk, they wouldn't lose anyone.

Then she opened the box and the team was expecting to see many bottles of alcohol and perhaps some candles. Harri pulled out a large stone basin and set it on the group. With a tap of her wand a white cloth screen unfurled behind it. With another tap 7 squashy colourful bean bags appeared and Harri sat down.

"Do you guys remember my 10 words?"

"Sure they were all pairs except for the last two." Bruce said.

"Well memories is all I have to remember my closest friends. This is a pensieve. I am going to put the memories of the second Wizarding War. When I make it play we will be able to watch it. That is, "she paused awkwardly, "if you guys would want to. It is pretty horrid."

Tony didn't answer and just sat on the bean bag next to Harri, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Bruce followed example and sat on the other side of Harri. Soon the others were all seated and then Harri placed her wand to her temple and pulled out a shimmering stream of white light.

"What is that?" Bruce asked,

"A memory. Of the first time I met evil. There will be eight memories in all and watching them will take all 12 hours. So get yourselves comfortable. If you want food I'd suggest grabbing it now, and perhaps a toilet break."

When the team announced they were ready the clock read 23:58. Harri had transferred over the eight memories and she sat back legs crossed waiting until the first became the second.

As soon as the clock flicked over Harry flicked her wand. The runes on the pensieve glowed softly and a scene filled the screen. It was a baby Harri with a man with dark hair, and a woman with red hair and green eyes, obviously her parents. They were playing gently with the baby when all of a sudden the house shook.

The scene played on, through the screaming and the curses that the serpentine man sent. The Avengers were horrified to the Avada Kedarva curse actually used. When Lily begged for her daughter's life Natasha sniffed softly, already close to tears. She couldn't believe that Harri could remember something this traumatic that young. They watched the screen avidly as the mother was killed and the wand was turned onto Harri.

Bruce was gripping Harri's hand so tightly, but Harri didn't really notice, lost as it were, in her own memories of that horrible time.

"Avada Kedavra!" The green light flew straight and true and hit Harri in the head, and to their surprise rebounded and hit the dark wizard. They all realized what the mark on Harri's head was now. A scar from somehow living through the one curse it was impossible to.

The screen went blank again briefly before the next memory started. On and on the story went. The next memory being of Harri's adventure to save the Philosopher's stone, and then onwards through her school years.

They sat enthralled at the magic, power, courage and selflessness of the wonderful person who was their teammate. Each memory raised many questions but they knew they couldn't ask them just yet.

Clint couldn't believe his eyes at the second memory, three children battling their way through obstacles to save a stone from an evil professor, who turned out to be the same person who had given the scar to Harri? Unbelievable. The chess match where the boy, Ron selflessly gave himself up to allow Harri to win reminded him of himself.

Tony was overwhelmed at the third memory. A giant snake that could kill with its eyes and a diary that had taken a girls soul hostage? He watched as Harri battled it with Fawkes, recognizing the bird and a hat, the sorting hat? And then later an awesome looking sword. He gasped as he saw the fang enter Harri's right arm and pulled up the sleeve of Harri's shirt. Harri didn't take her eyes off the screen but removed the wrist holster and then Tony saw it, the huge circular scar where a basilisk had bitten her. He watched as Fawkes cried over her arm, healing it and then as she stabbed the diary killing the younger version of the Voldemort figure. He remembered Harri saying she could hide a giant snake under a school and now knew what she was talking about. The chamber of secrets, there actually had been a giant snake hidden under a school! Who knew?

Bruce was surprised by the fourth memory. A werewolf?! An actual, true to life werewolf? Who apparently had a potion to control the change? He wondered if there was anyway to use a potion to control the Hulk. Also, time travel? How absolutely, wonderfully confusing. To his scientist mind it was practically Christmas come early.

Thor was emotional at the fifth memory. The maze that Harri battled through to reach this cup was exhausting and reminded him of the training quests of his youth. When he saw the Krum figure attacking the others he recognized the imperius curse and mentally cheered for Harri as she offered to let the yellow and black figure share in her prize, such generosity! He was horrified when he saw that youth cut down with that horrible curse with such little notice, where was the honour in that battle? When the Voldemort figure was resurrected from that cauldron his breath caught as he watched Harri held under that torture curse. He knew that too much exposure would send her crazy and found himself wishing for it to be over. When the wands connected and the figures of her parents appeared he was shocked, but even more so when Harri managed to escape with the body of her friend by using the teleporting cup.

Steve was horrified at the battle in the place called the ministry of magic. Six teenagers against ten adults? All for a prophecy? It was mind boggling but he watched on tenterhooks as they fought bravely, teamwork winning the day as they sprinted to and fro. When Sirius, the godfather from the fourth memory fell through the shimmering veil he choked up, memories of loosing his closest friends in battle swimming before his eyes. The team watched as Harri sprinted after the mad witch Bellatrix Lestrange and cast the second unforgivable. They all held their breath as it didn't quite work. The epic battle between the old man Dumbledore and Voldemort was terrifying in its intensity and seeing the dark wizard attempt to possess Harri was frightening. Hearing the destiny laid onto Harri's shoulders at 15 reminded Steve that she had said she was the chosen one.

Natasha almost couldn't bear to watch the entirety of the seventh memory. Those creatures, the inferi were like beasts focused solely on killing Harri. The scene at the top of the tall tower was horrifying. Harri had had to watch her mentor be killed at the hands of someone she knew and trusted? Natasha wished she could kill the Snape man herself.

The final memory started and the whole team had no idea what to expect, what more could there possibly be after what they had seen already? It started with a robbery, a short creature apparently called a goblin lead them past a huge hulking dragon. It was a trainwreck just waiting to happen and the team watched, breath in their throats as the trio jumped onto its back and rode it to freedom. But the memory didn't stop there. They apparated to a town near Hogwarts and the Avengers watched as they broke into the castle and the battle that followed.

Seeing the man who had killed Dumbledore made them hiss but when it was revealed that Harri had to die, there wasn't a single dry eye in the room. They watched through helpless eyes as Harri used the resurrection stone to summon her family and walk to her death. They watched helpless as she stood tall and brave and unafraid as Voldemort raised his wand that one final time.

Even though Harri was sitting with them none had any clue how she could possibly still be alive. The discussion with the dead Mentor sent many of their minds reeling about the afterlife. The cruciatus curses that Harri had to endure while silent impressed them all, even knowing she was alive. Harri protected everyone from Voldemort and the final battle was anticlimactic almost.

The special wand, the elder wand, whatever that meant apparently belonged to Harri and wouldn't kill her, instead killing Voldemort. They watched in mental exhaustion as Harri's hands shook and tears poured down her face as she looked at the people who had died.

Slowly the screen faded and then packed up. Harri's head bowed and she sat in silence. The others didn't want to break it. Harri raised her head, eyes still wet but face determined,

"I will remember you." Harri stood up and the waved her wand. The blinds of the room opened and the others saw the clock. It was 12:01. They had just watched an entire war in 12 hours.

Harri crossed to where the box was and pulled out some bottles. There were three different sizes. She looked at the others,

"Right. We have butterbeer for those who don't want to drink, half-strength fire-whiskey for the muggles and full strength for me."

"How can you even still be normal after that?" Natahsa asked quietly. Harri looked down at her hands,

"I'm not. Not really." Was all she said. Natasha got up and hugged Harri, Tony joined her and soon Harri was in the centre of a huge Avengers group hug. She choked out a laugh and said,

"Stop it, or you'll make me cry again. Now we need to get drunk. Tony here have a bottle."

"Hey this is the half strength stuff." Tony whined, wanting the full strength.

"You are pretty good at holding your liquor yes?"

"Is the pope catholic?" Tony retorted.

"Then try the half strength. Fire whiskey is different to muggle alcohol. If you can take the half strength I might let you have some of mine."

"Please," Tony said, "There isn't a drink I can't take."

He fetched himself a shot glass and threw one back.

His reaction was hilarious.

He coughed and spluttered and steam actually came out of his mouth. Bruce, who had been about to have a sip put his back down. Harri burst into laughter even as she unscrewed the lid of a full strength bottle and skulled about half of it.

She tipped her head back and blew out green flames.

"I'm sorry just what?" Bruce asked gobsmacked.

"This is fire whiskey. You should learn that wizards are pretty literal about everything. Half strength will only have you blowing steam but full strength is flames and all. This my friends," she said brandishing a bottle, "is the strongest alcohol in the world. Anyone care to join me?"

The next 12 hours were spent in a hilarious party of 7 superheroes. The alcohol was strong enough to even get Thor and Steve drunk, which they both decided to indulge in.

About 6 pm, Harri was well and truly smashed. Her diction however was still perfect. In fact all of them were. Tony questioned Harri and she said it was part of the firewhiskey, so it would enable wizards to still do magic when drunk. She had sat on Bruce's lap, who was only a bit drunk (due to his natural cautiousness) and was telling him all about how much she really, really liked his eyes.

"Seriously Bruce, your eyes are the prettiest thing in the whole world. I could like stare at them forever. You should like get them preserved when you die and give them to me so I can have staring competitions."

Tony laughed at Harri, and at Bruce's uncomfortableness and then decided to interfere.

"Bruce you have a thing for Harri don't you?"

"A thing? For me?" Harri asked excitedly, "You got me a present? Ooh where is it?" She started patting Bruce's shirt as if expecting it to be hidden there. Bruce coughed,

"No Tony meant that I like you." Harri stilled and looked up at Bruce,

"You like me?" She seemed confused and Bruce rushed to reassure her,

"Don't worry it's just Tony being stupid."

Harri swung to look at Tony with accusing eyes,

"See what you did. Now Bruce-Bruce doesn't like me anymore" Tony giggled, and gave another drink to Harri.

"Hey Harri?" Clint called, "Why is everyone dead?"

Harri frowned, her drunkenness making her emotions a lot clearer.

"They died."

"I know, you already told us that. But at the end of the memories there were still people alive." Clint asked, too drunk to realize he was being rude.

"Do the 10 words thing again" Bruce declared, "I like it when you do that. It's a cool puzzle."

"Alright," Harri settled herself on the couch next to Bruce and looked at the others,

"Elder Wand,"

"That's the white knobbly one the snake face guy had?" Clint asked and Harry nodded.

"Ressurection Stone,"

"That's the creepy corpse rock isn't it?" Natasha asked joining the conversation with a bottle of butterbeer mixed with firewhiskey.

"Invisibility Cloak,"

"We saw that in the memories, even though you didn't show us in real life. Too many potent memories you said. Potent is a cool word. It sounds like potion and tent all at once. You ever done that? Had a potion in a tent?" Steve rambled and the others just ignored him.

"The Deathly Hallows"

"Now that sounds like a good name for a clothing brand. Deathly Hallows. I should invent it, make a perfume or something." Tony announced and Natasha scoffed,

"You're a man, make cologne not perfume."

"Master of Death"

"Whoah, that's a title and a half. It's a bit creepy actually. Are you usually this creepy or is just cos I'm drunk?" Tony asked.

"MOD, master of Death. You are this master of death are you not?" Thor asked and Harri grimaced,

"Prophecy"

"That was a pretty epic prophecy though. I wish I had a prophecy. Can you make a prophecy about me?" Clint asked and was ignored.

"Either must die at the hand of the other."

"Harri dear, that is a ridiculously long word. In fact it's more of a sentence" Tony explained but Bruce's mind was clear enough to understand the implications,

"You can't die"

"Immortal" Harri whispered

The team was shocked. Harri was immortal?!

"So how did everyone die then?" Clint asked again,

"Old Age."

Silence.

"Wait. How old are you?" Steve asked. "You can't be more then 27 surely."

"628" Harri admitted quietly.

There was the sound of glass smashing as Tony dropped his bottle and spat out his mouthful.

"You mean I've been flirting with a old woman? You're older to be my great-great-great-great-great-great- grandmother!"

Tony looked down at his drink, and Harri looked guiltily at her fingers,

"Obviously I am not drunk enough yet. Fetch me another bottle will you magic girl?" Tony declared and Harri's shoulders relaxed. Her team had accepted her secrets, even if they were drunk and might not even remember tomorrow.

She sent a bottle to Tony and skulled the rest of hers. A stream of purple fire escaped her mouth and then she turned back to Bruce,

"You know, I bet it'd be fun to kiss the Hulk. Have you ever tried it?" She asked innocently.

"Say what?"


	6. Occlumency, travel and glamours

10 Words 6- Occlumency, travel and glamours

Author's note: What do you guys think, should I put Harri in a pairing with anyone? At the moment I'm leaning towards Bruce but let me know what you think. Thanks for the awesome support with the story. To all those people who've requested Loki don't worry he's coming soon!

Harri groaned as consciousness slowly returned- she only ever allowed herself to get drunk on May the second but boy did she have a headache. She lifted her head from her pillow wondering what she was laying on. For some reason the team had decided to sleep in a pile. Her head was on Bruce's chest and Thor was sleeping against her leg. Looking around blearily she could see Clint and Natasha spooning and Tony's back was against Clint. Steve was top'n'tail with Tony and Bruce was touching shoulders with Steve. It was one big hungover pile of Avengers.

Apparently Harri was the first to wake up and her movements work the others who groaned their discomfort.

"I am never drinking again," was the first words Bruce uttered and Clint moaned his agreement. Harri frowned, her muddled brain trying to think, and then she remembered. With a smile she held out her hand and summed seven vials from the box. They hovered above each Avenger and Harri grabbed her and downed it.

"Bottoms up guys- it's a hangover potion." Tony downed his eagerly in one, grimaced at the taste and then exclaimed as his pounding headache disappeared.

"Wow it really works" That got the other moving and soon the team was sitting up, hangover free, feeling fresh and ready for the day.

"I love potions" Clint announced with satisfaction. Harri looked at her teammates with affection and gratitude.

"Thanks for being there for me yesterday guys. It means a lot to me." Bruce put his hand on Harri's shoulder,

"It's no problem. We're a team."

"No Bruce," Tony interrupted gleefully, "We're a family." Harri stood up,

"I think I've reached the limit of how much sappiness I can take before breakfast. Pancakes anyone?"

Eventually the team got themselves cleaned up and headed back to the main room where Harri promised to cook them pancakes.

In the kitchen area to their surprise stood Fury.

"Where the hell were you guys yesterday?" he demanded. The team looked at Harri and she smiled a tad guiltily,

"My fault, they were with me upstairs. But you didn't call us in yesterday?" She asked confused,

"No but Barton and Romanov missed a meeting with the tech crew, Thor had an appointment with the Science lab and Steve missed his gym session. When four of my seven Avengers go AWOL I get worried. What were you doing upstairs?"

Harri walked to the coffee machine and JARVIS had her mocha ready.

"If I said we watched a 12 hour movie marathon and then got stone dead drunk would you believe me?" she asked impishly. Fury's eye twitched, obviously thinking she was withholding the truth, while the rest of the team struggled to contain their grins.

Fury was eventually convinced that nothing bad had happened and he left them to enjoy their long awaited pancakes.

After breakfast Bruce approached Harri and asked to speak to her alone. Tony wolf-whistled and Bruce flushed bright red. Harri ignored them and led Bruce back to her room and activated a privacy ward so no one could listen in.

"What do you want to talk about Bruce?" Harri asked, remembering some of her embarrassing declarations last night.

"You still have Hulk blocked." That was not what Harri was expecting at all,

"Huh?" was her intelligent answer.

"I was wondering if it was possible to have it blocked on a permanent basis?" Harri's heart clenched in sympathy and she impulsively hugged Bruce.

"Oh Bruce, if I keep the spell on you, you will not be able to control your temper without it. I have to take it off soon."

"Oh." Bruce was silent, he knew that he shouldn't have given himself hope, but still…

"Is there nothing magical that could help me?" he asked a little desperately.

Harri let go of Bruce and turned to pace the room, obviously thinking.

"I could attempt to modify the Wolfsbane potion- which will allow you to keep your mind when you transform. Or there's occlumency."

"What's that?"

"Remember how I can read minds? Occlumency is the opposite. It is the process of organizing one's mind to the extent that you can protect your thoughts."

"But I'm not magical?" Bruce asked confused.

"But you forget that I am." Harri smiled gently, "I could link to your mind and we could follow the process together. Eventually you'd have control over your mind and through that, that hulk."

"Which is better, potion or occlumency?" Bruce asked, sitting on Harri's bed and allowing his scientist mind to analyse his options.

Harri leant against her desk, "Assuming I can alter the potion it'd be an instant fix but you'd be dependent on the potion. Occlumency is a process that'll take at least an hour's work every day for probably 2 months but after that you'll be set."

"So my choices are either instant fix or long term solution." Bruce looked at his hands, and Harri continued,

"Bear in mind that potions taste horrible and can be addictive. But in occlumency I'd see all your thoughts and feelings until you mastered it."

Bruce didn't answer, and Harri stood up. She crossed to where Bruce was and tapped him on the shoulder, releasing the spell,

"Take your time and think about your options. Let me know when you've made a decision." And then she left the room.

Back in the main room she found that George had come to check how much alcohol she had consumed and to take the pensieve back. George had brought someone with him, and Harri turned to be introduced, an eyebrow raised in silent question. George lowered his head in exasperation before nodding and Harri clapped her hands in delight,

"Harri, this is my fiancée Alice, Alice my godmother Harri." They shook hands and Harri opened her mouth to say something but Tony beat her to it,

"Before you said he was your little brother, now he's your godson? How's that work?"

George, Harri and Alice all sighed, with Harri rubbing her eyes with one hand before answering,

"Tony, you might remember, how old am I?"

"Oh." Was Tony's answer, as he immediately understood. Unfortunately Clint wasn't quite as cluey as Tony and asked,

"Nope, still don't understand. Anyone care to explain properly?"

Harri turned round with a smile to the others.

"When he was young I was his godmother and now that he's grown up it's easier to say little brother. Causes less questions with people not in the know."

The team comprehended the situation then and Harri took George and Alice upstairs to fetch the box. By the time they had returned Bruce had come out to join them. Harri offered the visitors a coffee and the team sat down to chat.

"So Harri, will you read for us?" Alice asked, "I've only heard the best about your talents."

"Would you like me to read you?" Harri asked them both. The engaged couple shared a glance, nodded and presented a hand to her.

"Okay, hang on, explain?" Tony asked,

"Are you about to do more magic?" Clint asked, eager.

Harri laughed, "Yes, but not any visible magic. I am going to look into the future of their life as a couple."

"So like you did that time with Fury and the dagger?" Bruce asked.

"Sort of, that was just an ambient warning, this is actively searching."

Harri put her mocha down and took a hand in each of her own before closing her eyes. The atmosphere in the room became thick and heavy, the air practically tangible. The two magicals shuddered as the power rolled over them but the others just felt the pressure build up. Harri's eyes opened as she brought the two hands together and everyone could see them glowing, even more than they did usually.

As soon as the hands touched, everything stopped and the room went back to normal. Harri let go of their hands and the two rubbed at their wrists. They looked at Harri and she smiled brightly, causing them to sigh in relief,

"I'd suggest that you have a honeymoon on the continent and that you look for a house with an automatically vented potions room but after that you'll have a great start to a wonderful married life. And when you have children I expect to made godmother. Congratulations."

George and Alice impulsively hugged Harri and the others were surprised, Harri could really tell what the future would hold for them?

Soon the two visitors left and the Avengers were alone in the tower once more.

"So Harry are you wearing a glamour?" Tony asked innocently and Harri looked at him with her head tilted,

"Why?"

"Well if you're 628 you can't possibly look like that." Harri laughed,

"Thor looks like he could be 35 and he's in his fifth century but you don't ask him if that's what he looks like." She pointed out.

"That's not an answer," Tony said, "Do you or do you not wear a glamour." Harri dropped her shoulders,

"Fine, yes I wear a glamour. Happy now?" She exclaimed.

The team was surprised,

"So you mean you aren't actually as hot as you look?" Tony asked, looking unbearably hurt by that idea.

"Tonyyy!" Harri whined, "I'm 628, I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer.

"Can we see what you look like?" Bruce asked quietly and Harri spun round eyes wide in surprise.

"What?"

"Can you show us what you look like without the glamour?" Harri bit her lip deliberating and Bruce swallowed. Clint and Natasha saw and nudged each other hiding grins.

"Well… alright…" she said slowly, "but only because you asked."

"So if I'd asked what would you do?" Tony said,

"Whacked you over the head and use a well placed shrinking charm." Tony paled and backed away rapidly,

"You wouldn't"

"I might." Harri retorted and then the sighed. "I'll show you all tonight, after dinner."

Bruce wasn't sure why he was so anxious to see Harri's true form but dinner couldn't come fast enough. He had to force himself to eat at a normal pace and not shove it all down and declare 'done' in 5 seconds. Harri came to dinner wearing a long ironman coloured dressing gown.

"Alright, now I'll show you guys what I look like without the glamours but only if you promise not to laugh or scream or any of that, okay?"

Natasha could see how nervous Harri was and hastened to reassure her,

"Whatever you look like Harri, you're family now, we won't run away from you."

"Besides," Bruce joked, "you can't be worse than me"

Harri smiled ruefully and then moved to the couch area. When the team was all sitting down she dropped her dressing gown. She was wearing a short crop top, practically a bra and a pair of short shorts. Tony wolf-whistled and Harri glared at him.

"Shoosh you, my true self would be pointless to reveal in my normal clothes." Bruce's eyes had widened when he saw her outfit, two spots of pink appearing on his cheeks. Steve had coughed, his thirties sensibilities being surprised. Thor had not batted an eyelid, as he had a habit of treating everything as normal as he didn't know what wasn't.

Harri faced her teammates and took a deep breath. As she exhaled her glamours dropped.

Pale unblemished skin became riddled with scars. Hundreds of faded lightning bolt were visible ranging all over her body. Long jagged white scars that looked to be caused by swords or possibly other spells riddled her torso and arms. There was no part of Harri that wasn't covered, even her face wasn't spared, but strangely enough, she wasn't any older.

As one, the Avengers drew in sharp breaths. That was not what they were expecting. Tony had half visualized a short hump-backed old hairless woman who used the glamour to make herself young again but to see Harri, still looking exactly like Harri but so.. he couldn't even find the right word in his mind.

"How?" Bruce whispered, his shock not allowing his throat to work properly. Harri smiled bitterly.

"As soon as the war ended I became an auror to clear out the rest of the death eaters. I held that position for 150 years before retiring."

"What's an auror?" Clint asked.

"Oh right," she smiled a little sheepishly, "Wizarding police/army/hit man all in one. I became head auror and was in charge of upholding every law in magical Britain for over a century. During the course of that time I saw a few battles."

"A few?" Natasha said aghast. "There isn't an inch of you not covered!" Harri flinched at her harsh statement and looked at her feet.

"That's why I wear the glamours." Harri said quietly. She crossed her arms around her middle and didn't meet their eyes.

"Well I still think you're beautiful." Bruce declared suddenly and Harri's head jerked up, while the others watched amused,

"Uh, I mean.. you know… I think the scars suit you?" he ended his explanation as a question and blushed brightly. Harri smiled and her eyes lit up with repressed laughter.

"Thanks," she said dryly, but Bruce could tell by the way she stood a little straighter that his words had worked.

"So, I just have one question, cos I totally understand the whole not dying thing, but how are you not aging?" Tony asked, brushing past the sweet moment as if it hadn't existed, earning him an exasperated glance from Natasha.

"I was 25 when I first held all the Hallows at once, not quite the smartest thing I'd ever done. I haven't aged or died since that moment. I just heal and scar. Eternal youth." Harri said quietly and then the scars began to disappear, the glamours seamlessly hiding all her scars again. She was left looking completely normal except that Natasha noticed another lightning bolt high on Harri's right collarbone.

"Oh you missed one" she pointed it out and Harri shook her head,

"The two I don't glamour are the two bookends of the second Wizarding war. My head," she touched it briefly, "when I was a babe and my chest" her hand moved, "when I was 17. I keep them to remember."

Harri walked out of the main room, heading to her suite and Bruce saw that she had forgotten her dressing gown. He hesitated for a moment before picking it up and going after her.

"They are so cute aren't they?" Natasha said quietly. "Bruce deserves a chance to be happy." She mused,

"So does she," Clint agreed.

"But I do not think Bruce has considered her immortality, it is hard to create a relationship with that boundary." Thor pointed out, understanding their situation more keenly than the others. Steve hummed in agreement, knowing that he aged slower than normal people.

Harri's door was shut and Bruce knocked on it,

"Harri, you forgot your dressing gown." There was silence and he raised his hand to knock just as it was opened. Harri stood wearing a large t-shirt that went down to about her knees that read, "Going to bed? Mind if I Slytherin?"

"Oh Bruce, hi" she looked flustered and shuffled her feet.

"Here's your dressing gown," he said and practically shoved it at her in his awkwardness.

"Thanks," she slipped it on and did it up, giving Bruce time to get over his mental stuttering.

"Do you want to come in?" Harri offered when Bruce didn't say anything. He nodded and wiped at his glasses. Harri stepped aside and Bruce came in.

"I've.. uh.. thought about your offer," he began awkwardly, "and I'd like to learn occlumency." He said quietly.

"Ok" was Harri's answer.

Bruce looked Harri in the eye, searching for something, not entirely sure what. Maybe some revulsion or fear, but whatever it was he didn't find it.

"I.. don't know exactly how it works, but I trust you inside of my head."

"Well, I'll need to make a trip to England to get some stuff then. We'll go tomorrow, see if anyone wants to come with."

"How are we going to get to England?"

"Portkey. Like the cup that I took in the tournament." Harri explained. "Here lets go see if anyone wants to go to England." Harri took Bruce by the hand and ran back to the main room, everyone was still sitting there as she ran in, Bruce stumbling behind,

"Who wants to go to England with me tomorrow?"

"What?" Tony asked, "Why are you going to England?"

"I have to pick up some stuff." Harri said cryptically.

"How would we get to England?" Natasha asked,

"By a long range portkey. Like the cup you saw in the tournament."

"How many different ways of transport are there?" Bruce asked,

"Well.. I can think of about 10 of the top of my head."

"Broom, you've seen that before" everyone nodded,

"Floo system. Which works by connecting a fireplace to a network and utilizing a special powder, which will send you to the grate of the place you call out. It's a bit like an email but you send yourself through a fire."

"And you don't get burnt?" Tony questioned.

"Not at all, it's a bit messy from all the soot but a good scourgify and you're all fine."

"What else?"

"Well apparition, you've seen that one before."

"And it is not a feeling one should ever subject themselves to willingly." Thor reminded the others.

"Magical creatures"

"What do you mean?" Clint asked,

"Well Phoenixes can lift extremely heavy loads with magic and also flash you somewhere. Thestrals, hippogriffs, griffins, centaurs etc can all carry you on their backs."

"Whoa, centaurs exist?" Steve asked, "a half person, half horse?"

"Yes they do, and they are some of the most proud people to ever walk this earth. Ruddy Stargazers the lot of them." She finished with a peculiar accent, but then continued.

"Enchanted vehicle, for instance, I flew to school in a car once and own a flying motorcycle that was my godfathers."

The other's nodded, accepting magic straightaway but Tony frowned,

"Hang on! A flying car and motorbike 600 years ago?!"

"Um.." Harri looked amused that Tony had finally brought up that topic, "The Wizarding world has always been far more advanced than the muggle one. We released the design for engines and cars and electricity into the world slowly. But like all things muggle you can work with electricity far easier than we can. Whereas the Wizarding world hasn't really changed since 2000 the muggle world has so many crazy advancements, mostly thanks to Tony here."

"So you're saying the magical world was just as advanced as the world in 2000 but 600 years ago and you just hid it all from the muggles?" Clint asked,

"Basically, we had gone into hiding only a handful of centuries previous because of the witch-burnings and so we didn't want to allow muggles such an advantage again. It took me nearly 200 years to get the radio allowed to be shared."

"You got the radio invented?" Steve asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, that was me. I got into politics a bit after I got sick of just being headmistress."

"I forget that you've had a lot of careers in your lifetime." Bruce said laughing slightly at the coincidence of it all. "What other ways to travel are there?"

"Portals"

"Like a hole that you walk through and end up somewhere else?" Natasha asked,

"Exactly. But they can only exist in exceptionally high magically concentrated places. There are portals between Hogwarts and the Ministry and the other magical ministries."

"Portrait."

"Like a picture?"

"You might not have seen it during the memories, but magical portraits can move. Portraits are painted of people while they are alive and then once dead it comes to life, with an impression of their memories and character. There is a spell you can use to temporarily spell yourself into a canvas, travel through it to the persons matching frame and then leave."

"You become a painting, move to another frame and then leave it?" Bruce asked disbelieving,

"Yes, incidentally, that's how most of the major art crimes are committed, by wizards who feel like breaking the statute."

"Weird." Steve decided.

"Magic carpets."

"Like Aladdin and the genie?" Tony asked,

"Exactly like Aladdin and the genie. They are actually outlawed everywhere but India, because the personalities you have to imbue them with to make them fly make it very hard to hide if a muggle sees it."

"Secret passageway."

"That's hardly magical," Clint complained,

"It is, if a moving tree is planted over the entrance and you have to poke the exact right knot to be able to enter it safely, or you have to speak a password for it to even exist in the first place."

"Moving trees? What like the ents?" Natasha asked.

"No, think more like a tree that treats anything that comes within range of its branches as a target. Its called the whomping willow."

"Well the last isn't really helpful but it's still cool. Time travel."

"That's what you did in your third year." Bruce said excitedly.

"Yep. Pretty dangerous to attempt, and highly regulated by the ministry, for good reason."

"Why?" Clint wanted to know,

"Everything that has happened will always happen. If you were given a time turner, would you turn back to try and save Phil Coulson?" The room was silent, "You couldn't though, because it's already happened."

"But you saved the hippogriff." Natasha said quietly.

"Yes, but we didn't see it die the first time, we heard the sound of the axe falling, which was the same sound the axe made the second time we heard it, into a pumpkin. Buckbeak didn't die the first time, we only thought he did, which allowed us to then make that a reality and save him. Time travel is very, very tricky stuff."

The team was all very quiet, thinking about what Harri had told them.

"So who wants to go on a day trip to England?"

"Can we see Hogwarts?" Thor asked.

"Um… I could take you there.. if you guys want to. But you'll have to put up with some awkward questions if you do go."

"Awesome. Count me in." Tony declared excited, and one by one the team agreed.

"Okay, we'll leave here about 9 am tomorrow. Goodnight guys." Harri left again and the others soon called it a night, excited about seeing Harri's childhood school.


	7. To Hogwarts

10 Words part 7: To Hogwarts

Author's note: Thanks heaps for all your support in the reviews. The majority of people have asked for Harri/Bruce so that's where this story is headed. Sorry to those who requested Loki, Tony, Steve or Thor, not that I don't love those pairings but I think Bruce can understand Harri best at the moment. If you are really desperate PM and I might just write a oneshot set in this universe with your requested pairing. Also sorry this is so late, I had a family funeral and then uni started back up and I had to go back to work, the perils of an everyday life! Hope this chapter satisfies you!

All the Avengers were ready before 9:00 except for Harri who stumbled out in her Slytherin t-shirt and a pair of old trackies. She blindly walked to the coffee machine and poked it, wanting her coffee straight away. The others were laughing at her but Harri didn't even realise. Bruce took pity on her and fetched her cup for her coffee to go in and she raised a bleary eye to look at him,

"Ta Bruce." She picked the coffee up and took a gulp, before turning around to see the rest of the Avengers.

"What are you looking at?" She asked grumpily, "Haven't you ever seen a witch before her coffee before?"

"Harri dear," Tony started, "You told us to be ready before 9."

"Mm.. oh so I did," Harri said absentmindedly. She skulled the rest of her coffee and walked over to them. "Righto, shall we went?"

"First of all, your grammar is atrocious, and secondly, I don't know if you looked into a mirror between your journey from bed to coffee.. but you probably should put some clothes on." Tony pointed out and Harri looked at her shirt,

"Oh" she shrugged sheepishly. "Forgot that." She flexed her fingers and all of a sudden her hair neatened itself out and piled into a large coil on top of her head. Her Slytherin shirt became a fitting red and gold dress and she grew a few inches as heels formed around her feet. Makeup appeared on her face and her handbag flew from another room. Within 10 seconds, Harri was dressed and ready and looking at them."

"I never thought watching a woman get dressed was hot, turns out I was wrong." Tony announced gleefully and ducked the hit Natasha swung at him.

"Why do you wear Ironman colours all the time?" Bruce asked, and tried to convince himself that he wasn't whining. Clint had to cough to disguise a snort at the look on his face.

"It's not Ironman colours thank you very much, these are the official colours of Gryffindor, my house in Hogwarts."

"Isn't Hogwarts a school? How do you have a house in a school?" Clint asked.

"There are four houses that students are divided into upon arriving at the school. Gryffindor, for the brave. Hufflepuff, for the loyal, Ravenclaw for the Smart and Slytherin for the ambitious. They are named after the 4 founders of Hogwarts."

"The heir of Slytherin" Natasha remembered,

"Yes, I am actually the only heir of all the houses left. But at the time when I was 12 I wasn't the heir of Slytherin."

"How did you become it then? I thought family was something you were born into?" Tony asked,

"Right of conquest. Voldemort was the last heir of Slytherin and I beat him and claimed the title."

"Weird."

"Right, well we'll take this piece of string as a portkey to Grimmauld Place. Bruce, I'm going to lock away the Hulk again, just for the trip." Bruce nodded, he had expected it.

"Okay, so everyone grab hold of the string," When everyone was touching it Harri said, "Portus." Tony opened his mouth to ask,

"What's supposed to ha" The world flung away from them. The group was spinning and flying and being compressed. It was an exceptionally weird and unsettling feeling. It felt like forever, but in reality was probably only a couple of minutes before they landed. All of them except Harri hit the ground and collapsed. There was a chorus of moans before Thor spoke,

"I think that next time you to offer to demonstrate a type of Wizarding travel I will just take the car." Bruce moaned his agreement.

"Right, well, you'll feel better in a bit. But first off, welcome to Grimmauld Place. This is my home whenever I am in England." Harri let them all stand up and then led them through to the dining room. You guys wait here and I'll go fetch the stuff I need. It about 2 o'clock here so someone might still be home for lunch. If anyone comes in while I'm gone tell them that I brought you here. Actually, I'm going to need some help carrying things, one of you muscles want to come with?"

"I can help you with your burdens." Thor volunteered, not seeing Natasha silence Tony and look at Bruce. She sighed her disappointment and so Thor and Harri went to find the things she needed, leaving the others to look around.

There was a wall of Wizarding photos and they all went to inspect it. Knowing about moving photos is one thing, but seeing it in reality is another. Harri was in every single photo and it didn't appear to have the same person twice. There were literally thousands of photos covering the wall but the team couldn't work out what time they spanned as everything looked like it could belong to the 21st century.

Harri and Thor came back into the dining room while the others were still discussing their guesses on the timeframe of the photos, the latter waylaid with a pile of books. Harri herself was carrying a box that was filled with jars, with interesting labels. She put it on the table and smiled at the group, Tony darted forward and pulled out a jar,

"Boomslang skin. What on earth is this?" He asked looking revolted. Harri laughed, took the jar from him and went to answer, even as Bruce said,

"Potions ingredients." Harri looked at him and he sheepishly shrugged, "Isn't it?"

"Yeah they are. I need to top up my stock a little and get some new ones for our experiment."

"What experiment? Can I help?" Tony asked eagerly,

"No you can't Tony and it's secret." Harri answered, correctly guessing that Bruce would want to keep the possibility of a solution on the down low until they found out if it would work.

"When are these photos from?" Natasha asked,

"These are all of living wizards today, mostly the Weasleys. I have another room dedicated to all my friends that have passed."

"So this is your family?"

"Yep," Harri said proudly, "And the best adoptive family ever in my opinion." Bruce smiled at Harri's obvious love for the people in the pictures.

"Malfoy told me you had removed certain of my books from the library."

The team whirled around and to their surprise they found themselves facing a magical portrait of Severus Snape.

"Snape" Harri exclaimed and hurried over to him, "I need those books for an experiment."

"Hmm, well I suppose after all this time you can't possibly still be such a dunderhead, I will allow you to use my families knowledge." He sneered, Bruce stiffened, not really liking the man after what he had seen of him but Harri just laughed, albeit a bit teary eyed, which confused the team until she spoke again.

"How goes it then? I haven't seen hide or hair of you for at least 150 years. Did you manage to get that Wolfsbane finished?"

"150 years?" Snape said, one eyebrow raised is astonishment, "surely you jest, it can not have been that long."

Harri frowned, "Yes it has," she said quietly.

"Well obviously you haven't changed a bit but who are these muggles?"

"Snape, meet my team, Tony, Bruce, Thor, Natasha, Clint and Steve. I'm taking them to visit Hogwarts."

"Not like that you aren't" Snape said pointedly and Harry put her face in her hands,

"Don't tell me they've started another war." She groaned

"Not yet, diplomatic talks are being held in Hogwarts as we speak, but it is doubtful they can resolve the issue without intervention."

"Oh Merlin's pants, can't the Wizarding world function without me for longer than 10 years?"

"Why can't you take us like this?" Tony asked.

"I don't know what the discussions are about but they will be between powerful wizards who would all take offence to the presence of muggles in Hogwarts, regardless of who brought them in. They would possibly try to kill you, or worse, take your memories."

"So does that mean we can't go?" Bruce asked disappointed.

"Nope." Harry said slowly, looking at all of them, "It just means you get to pretend to be wizards for the day."

Harry took them all upstairs and into a large bedroom. She opened the wardrobe and considered each person before pulling out a robe.

"Now there are two main styles of robes, one is open in front which requires a Wizarding suit and the other which is buttoned down so you can continue wearing what you want underneath."

"Which is better?" Steve asked,

"I don't have a preference, but the second is a hassle in a fight. It also looks like a dress, so pick which one you want. Natasha come with me, I'll get you some robes."

Natasha and Harri left and the men all chose a robe and tried to work out how it worked. They all decided on the Wizarding suit version because as Tony declared, the only time he had ever worn a dress was when Harri had transfigured it.

As soon as he had declared that a wardrobe had opened to reveal a bunch of dark suits. Each male Avenger found one that was exactly their size and they all got dressed. It was slightly different to suits that Tony had worn before and extremely different to anything Thor had ever seen.

They had suit pants with perfect creases down the front, fancy long sleeved shirts with a curious way of buttoning at the sleeves and a waistcoat complete with a pocket watch. They were all attempting to work out how the cloak went over the top when Harri and Natasha came back.

"Tada, don't we look every inch a pureblood witch?" Harri asked triumphantly and the team looked them over appraisingly.

Natasha wore a long purple dress with a very fitted bodice, almost a corset. Her hair was styled into a pile on top of her head and a travelling cloak was clasped around her neck, falling in light violet waves across her shoulders and down. She looked very aristocratic and as Bruce looked at Clint's eyes appreciating the outfit, very sexy.

Harri was dressed once again in Emerald green to match her eyes. It was an outfit similar to Natasha's but the dress had long open sheer sleeves and a paler green cloak was around her neck. Harri's hair was left free but there was a headband in it that appeared to be made of metal. It could almost pass as some sort of crown, but would probably be called a circlet. It was silver and gleamed prettily against her dark tresses. Bruce caught his breath and the calculating look that some of the other's in the room gave him showed him he wasn't as subtle as he hoped he was.

"Here let me show you how the cloaks work. If you don't do them right, you'll choke yourself." Harri crossed the room and picked Bruce's cloak up. Instead of getting him to turn around she reached up to drape it around him. There was a brief moment where the material cut them off from the rest of the room and Bruce's heart nearly stopped, but then it settled around him and her hands were on his shoulders settling the material.

"See you have to make sure the shoulder spaces are settled and then you clasp it like this." Her deft fingers demonstrated to the others who all attempted to follow her directions. Thor was the most successful, obviously having worn a cloak before, though not of this style.

When at last they were all attired as wizards, which was a surreal enough experience for all of them, Harri stood back and admired her handiwork.

"I think that you could all very nearly pass a powerful wizards in your own right."

"What do you mean nearly?" Tony asked, opening his mouth no doubt to offer some witty rejoinder but Harri continued,

"A wand, Tony. A wand. Every witch or wizard has one. They are kept in the sleeve of your dominant hand."

"So that explains the weird sleeves." Clint said investigating his arms.

"Yes, I have a small army of wands, come with me and we'll find you one for the day."

Excited at the prospect the group trudged after Harri up two flights of stairs and down another, through a few passageways before they came to another sitting room.

"Are you sure this house is logical?" Tony asked,

"Its not entirely. I redecorated while I was drunk a few hundred years back and accidentally made it unplottable even to me, so not only does every direction not go where you expect it, it is impossible to create a map of it. It took me nearly 50 years to learn my way back round."

Bruce chuckled with amusement.

"You really are a hilarious drunk aren't you?" He asked,

Harri blushed and stammered,

"Not my fault, I distinctly remember that you guys gave me more alcohol and encouraged several of my actions." She stuck her tongue out at Tony who had mimicked her and led them into the room.

Inside were wall to wall bookshelves, but not filled with books. The shelves had a cushion lining and floor to ceiling on all four walls were wands. Spaced apart about an inch, there would have to be thousands, if not more.

"You said you had a small army? What is your definition of a large army then?" Clint asked gobsmacked.

Harri laughed and turned to face them.

"Right, I can't let you pick just any wand, as wands signify a great deal about a person and anyone who sees it will automatically make judgements about you."

"How do we choose one?" Natasha asked, looking at the rows upon rows of wooden sticks.

Harri smiled and said in an airy voice,

"The wand chooses the witch Miss Potter." She coughed a little in embarrassment at their confused faces before continuing.

"You don't have magic, so I'll just choose one based on your personality and that way it will like you even though you can't weild it. Thor I'll do you first because you maybe able to actually take a wand."

"How can I?" Thor asked, "I am not of this worlds magic"

"Ah but you are in a sense magical. This section of wands here all have a dragon heartstring as it core, any of these would be well suited to your ferocious battle style. Hold you hand out and close your eyes, think of a fight you have won."

Thor did as he was told and the others watched fascinated as a wand lifted from a shelf about knee height and floated up to him. Thor opened his eyes as it touched his hand,

"Amazing" he whispered fervently as he clasped it. Weak sparkles appeared and Harri clapped delighted.

"Alright, you even have enough magic in you to probably learn about half way through the first year text books."

Harri used the same process on each of the other Avengers, leading them to a shelf that housed wands of a type that would suit them. No one else had a wand come to them when they held their hands out and concentrated and so Harri simply chose one for them. Once they were all armed with their decorative sticks as Tony labeled them and Harri had shown them how to wear it properly and reminded them that if they felt at all threatened that they should touched their fingers to their wrist as a universal sign to other wizards not to push too far.

When questioned about that Harri told them,

"By taking you guys to Hogwarts, everyone will think you are powerful wizards that I am deigning to show around. They will not want to engage you in a magical fight and so warning them will be plenty enough."

"Will we be safe?" Steve wanted to know, worried that none of them had their usual weapons and Harri smiled at him calmly,

"Yes, you forget that just because you are out of your comfort zone doesn't mean I am. Hogwarts has always been my heart-home and its very magic will rise up to protect anyone I deem close to me. Add to that fact that I am the most powerful magic practitioner on the planet and you'll be fine."

Harri led the way back through the crazy house and led them outside. She pulled out another piece of string and looked at everyone.

"Not another one." Thor groaned loudly and Tony laughed, clapping him on the shoulder,

"Come along point-break. We're going to see a real-live magic castle. I think you can handle your stomach for that can't you?"

The group appeared a ways off from Hogwarts, and the castle wasn't visible. In fact they were down by a lake, at a dock. Harri gestured to the boats floating behind her. When the group had sorted themselves out, and a few scourgify spells later, they climbed into the boats which began to take them around the bend.

Harri watched her friends faces in anticipation as they rounded the final turn and saw the majestic castle. She smiled at the awe in their eyes and let her magic run free greeting the castle as an old friend.

When the boat nudged the shore gently and they had all climbed out Harri led the way up to the doors of the castle. As they walked she answered their questions,

"Who are the people we had to dress up for?" Steve asked.

"Representatives of two magical nations. Probably Germany and England. Germany is still smarting from the strictures imposed on it after world war 2.

"World war 2 had wizards in it?" Steve asked in shock, remembering the battles he fought in.

"Oh yes, Hitler was a wizard, especially gifted with the imperius curse. He was very difficult to defeat until the Brits finally gave in and asked for help. Germany is still annoyed about that. That's the problem with wizards, they already have long lifespans so it takes about 100 years for wars to be gotten over"

They reached the big doors of the castle and Harri simply stroked them and they opened slowly.

"Right the most important thing to remember is that in the Wizarding world, image is everything." Harri told them seriously.

"Ha, Tony'll fit right in." Natasha teased and Tony mock-glared at her.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked,

"I mean that we wait until the opportune time to join the discussions." As she said this, the group became aware of raised voices through the closed doors that led into the great hall. Harri crossed to them and waved a hand. The doors became translucent and they all saw inside.

"I was partly right, it is Germany, but they look Scandinavian. Why on earth are they at Hogwarts?" Harri said and then listened to the conversation.

A dark haired and bearded wizard was speaking.

"You German wizards are all the same, complaining about this and that. You never do anything but complain, is it any wonder that no one listens but to mock you?"

At this several wizards on the other side of the wizards stood angrily, fingers pressed to their wrists.

"I was under the impression that the Scandinavian government would know not to obliviate the daughter of the Chancellor of Germany." One wizard said with obvious disdain.

"I was under the impression that only muggles with the strict need to know basis were allowed to know about our existence," the same wizard retorted back.

Harri smirked at the group and clicked her fingers. The doors to the great hall burst open with a huge bang and she walked calmly in, flanked on either side by the Avengers as she remarked dryly,

"And I was under the impression that the wizarding world had gained a modicum of sense in my abscense. Obviously I was mistaken."


	8. Chapter 8 Hogwarts continued

Silence reigned after her statement as the obviously surprised group of wizards watched the approach of the group. It was clear the Scandinavians didn't recognize Harri and that the Germans however, did. They had all paled and dropped their hands to their sides, some even taking steps back. The Scandinavians however bristled angrily.

"Who are you to burst in here during our diplomatic talks? Those doors are closed to everyone who is not involved." One old wizard with immaculately styled grey hair asked indignantly, moustache quivering in agitation.

Harri mentally snorted,

"Sexist old geezer" she said softly to the others, who had to stifle grins. Louder she continued, just as dryly,

"Why are you holding diplomatic talks in my home then?"

The man spluttered,

"Your home? You lie. This is a castle and a school not anyone's home."

"Why last I checked I do own the place. Has that changed in my absence dearest Hogwarts?"

A flash of white light appeared from no one set direction and caressed Harri, who smiled and gently caressed it with her own magic.

"Nope, clearly I am still the owner." By this point she had reached the dais where the teachers would sit during school time, currently missing the table and sat in the head chair with aplomb before continuing smugly,

"And that means, my dear sirs and ladies, that you are in my home, uninvited and are all being exceedingly rude."

The Avengers were struggling to contain their laughter as they watched the panicked Germans and the confused Scandinavians. They grew more serious however when as one the Germans knelt before Harri,

"Forgive us our impertinence Lady Harri." Looking at Harri, Bruce realized she did look every inch a lady.

"Why should I? You clearly organized the talks to be held here because you believed you would have strategic advantage. You know that I know when Hogwarts is being used in such a manner and wished for me to judge favorably when your uneducated rivals put their foot in it, so to speak."

The leader of the German party bowed his head even further and spoke earnestly,

"The Judge is correct. Even so we would ask The Judge to hear our quarrel."

One Scandinavian recognized the significance of the title and whispered frantically in the ear of the spokesperson whose eyes opened dramatically wide and his face lost all colour. He looked up at Harri with new eyes, and saw that she looked unimpressed. Soon all the Scandinavians had joined the Germans on the floor.

Thor was confused, from what he had gathered of Harri, she was not one to enjoy subservience. So why did she allow these people to cower before her. Before he could think more on it, Harri spoke, and this time all could hear a difference to her voice. Where before, her voice had been gentle, friendly and amusing. It now reeked of barely restrained power.

"Enough. Stand up, all of you. Shame on you Germans for bringing your enemies to a place they did not realize the significance of. Shame on you," she looked to the other group, "for not doing your research on the locations of your diplomatic talks."

"Did you not think anywhere in your heads that perhaps there could be a peaceful outcome before you declared war?" She asked softly, and yet her voice carried through the hall.

The spokespeople from both Germany and Scandinavia shared looks and approached the chair,

"If you please Lady Judge. Will you hear our dilemma?" Bruce was shocked at the title, and then remembered back to the codenames discussion. Harri had said she was called the Judge, and now it appeared to be the reason behind it. Harri was apparently some sort of magical mediator between countries about to declare war.

"I believe I have the gist of it. Some Scandinavian wizards found out that the Chancellor's daughter, who is muggle found out about magic and took offence to this. They obliviated her, which meant that the Germans took offence to them. Some idiot somewhere in a ministry stuffed up the peace talks and voila here we are." She waved her hand airily.

The Avengers were very grateful that they had taken the time to dress up. If the discussion was about muggles knowing about magic, it was very good that these people didn't realize they were muggles themselves.

"Am I correct?" Harri asked, and the German ones spluttered a bit before nodding resignedly,

"Essentially yes."

"Goodness. What am I to do with you all?" She asked, loud enough for everyone to hear, but obviously directed at herself. She was silent for a brief moment before she clapped her hands once.

"There we go, I have fixed the damaged memory of the Chancellor's daughter. You," she looked to the Scandinavians, "don't go picking on people, it's not nice. And you guys," she spoke to the Germans, "Don't get needlessly angry and then drag them somewhere where you believe yourselves to have the advantage. You didn't like it when the English did it to you, so no turning tables on others."

Harri stood up and everyone bowed again,

"I declare this matter finished with, no war will start today. And for goodness sake, work out your peace talks not at Hogwarts."

The assembled wizards realized the dismissal for what it was and all began to leave. The Avengers watching were all surprised by how anticlimactic the resolution had been. Harri had entered and within 5 minutes everyone else was leaving, matter solved.

"Forget the Avengers, we just need you to negotiate all the Alien problems we have." Tony announced when the room was clear. Harri turned around and everyone could see her shoulders lose their tension as she relaxed.

"Sorry about that everyone, the Wizarding world is mostly stupid." She apologized with a shrug.

"So to the Wizarding world you are called the Judge?" Bruce asked, curious.

"Yes. I was given that title back when I was the head Auror and settled a heck of a lot of conflicts between other countries. After a while people sought me out just to have me judge, I got the title from my friend Luna. My immortality is somewhat of an open secret, and it has given me a sort of…. Power over the masses."

"I'll say. They just turned tail and left." Clint commented. "They didn't even care about who we were."

"That's because they all saw I was annoyed. A few hundred years ago I lost my temper quite drastically, caused a huge earthquake, did a lot of damage… they're all wary of making me angry."

"You caused an earthquake?" Natasha asked incredulously.

"Um… yes.." Harri said sheepishly and then changed the subject.

"Now that we have Hogwarts to ourselves. What do you wanna see first?"

The whole group spoke as one and Harri laughed.

"Hold on. I can't hear you all. Lets do the 10 words again, but this time with places instead of words."

"Who wants to go first?" Natasha asked.

"I will," Tony announced, as expected.

"I want to see where you fly your broomsticks."

Harri laughed, and led them back outside. "It's called the quidditch pitch."

"What the heck is a quidditch?" Clint asked.

"Quidditch is the main sport of Wizards. It's played on broomsticks and is very dangerous." As they walked down to the pitch, Harri explained the rules and told them amusing anecdotes about her time as the Gryffindor seeker. At the pitch she pulled out her firebolt from behind her watch and mounted it.

"Want to see me fly tricks or want to have a ride?" she asked.

"Tricks." Tony said. "I want to see the maneuverability of that thing."

Harri grinned and kicked off hard. She flew off like a rocket and the team had to crane their heads to see Harri rising high above them. Soon she turned and plummeted back to earth at a startling speed. They watched as she came closer and closer. Bruce's nails were digging into his palms as it looked like she was going to crash but she pulled up at the very last second, her kneecaps just grazing the edge of the grass.

From there Harri demonstrated all sorts of tricks, it wasn't often that she had time just to play around on her broomstick and so she had fun. Barrel rolls, flips, tight spirals, dives and many other tricky maneuvers were demonstrated to the team who were watching avidly. When she landed, completely windswept and cheeks rosy, they all applauded and Bruce exhaled sharply, only just realizing that he had been mostly holding his breath.

"You're crazy" Steve said, shaking his head, "I would never be able to control something that quick, even with the serum."

"I have good reflexes, and they have only gotten better over the years." Harri replied,

"I'll say," Tony agreed, "what's the top speed on that thing?"

"Well.. it depends on if I use charms to protect myself, it doesn't actually have a limit but the faster you go the harder it is to breathe and all that… so I think the fastest I've gone on it is about Mach 5, and I had to slow down pretty quickly because breathing was a bit of an issue, if I wore a bubblehead charm though, it could go faster."

"You are seriously mental." Natasha said good-naturedly.

"What do you want to see next?"

"I want to see the forbidden forest" Clint declared, "I've been in my fair share of forests, but a magical one must be pretty cool."

Harri smiled and led the group out of the pitch and into the forest. As they walked she explained various trees and plants they came across. When they walked into an unexpected clearing they were surprised with the sight of several threstrals, who all vied for Harri's attention.

"What are these?" Natasha asked in a horrified whisper,

"Thestrals, or known in folk talks as Death's mount. They can only be seen if you have seen death, so they are often perceived as a bad omen, but really they are truly beautiful, in an odd sort of way."

Thor attempted to pat one of the Thestrals, but they shied away until Harri calmed them enough for Thor to touch. When the male he was patting trusted him it snorted his approval and suddenly Thor found himself in the middle of a thestral circle, being nosed and head-butted by the odd creatures. He yelped and Tony burst into laughter, scaring the herd off. They turned tail and darted into the undergrowth to the right of the clearing.

"Uh, oops?" Tony scratched his head sheepishly, but Harri just laughed.

"Don't worry, they just don't feel comfortable around people who aren't inherently magical."

"Most magical beings do not feel comfortable around a group of non-magical beings my Lady." Interrupted a low voice and the group swung around in surprise.

Hi guys! So sorry that this is so late! My brother got married and then my grandma died and I had exams and…. Life is just ridiculous isn't it. I'm a little stuck at the moment for what places the Avengers should see. I've got three more places to go (that actually have something to do with the overarching plot) yay! But I need 10…. So review or PM me and tell me what/ where/who you want to see! I shall do my best to accommodate. And an imaginary cookie goes to anyone who can guess who the group just ran into.


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